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PRINCETON   THEOLOGICAL  SEMINARY 


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DEC  22  1932 

Milton's  Knowledge  of  Music 

Its  Sources 

and 

Its  Significance  in  his  Works 


A  Dissertation  presented  to  the  Faculty  of  Princeton  University 

in  Candidacy  for  the  Degree  of 

Doctor  of  Philosophy 


BY 


SIGMUND  GOTTFRIED  SPAETH 


M 


PRINCETON 

THE  UNIVERSITY  LIBRARY 

1913 


Accepted  by  the  Department  of  English 


WEIMAR.   —  PRINTED   BY  R.  WAGNER  SOHN 


CONTENTS 


Page 
1 

12 
28 
57 
81 


I.  English  Music  in  the  Seventeenth  Century 
II.  The  Life  of  Milton  as  a  Musician  .     . 

III.  Milton  and  the  Art  of  Music       .... 

IV.  Milton  and  the  Theory  of  Music 
V.  The  Significance  of  Milton's  Knowledge  of  Music 

Appendix      I.  The    most   important  Passages   in  Milton's 

Works  illustrating  his  Knowledge  of  Music        100 
„  II.  Milton's  Friendship  with  Henry  Lawes       .        124 

„  III.  Leonora  Baroni,  the  Singer  .        .        .        129 

„  IV.  An  Essay  read  in  the  Public  Schools  "  On 

the  Music  of  the  Spheres"     ....        132 
„  V.  The    most    important    Sources    of   Milton's 

Knowledge  of  Music 137 

Abbreviations  of  Titles  152 

Glossary 154 

Bibliography 175 

Index 179 


PREFACE 

A  dissertation  on  "  Milton's  Knowledge  of  Music  " 
requires  little  explanation  or  introduction.  Every 
student  of  literature  or  of  music  knows  that  Milton 
stands  alone  among  poets  in  his  unerring  accuracy 
in  the  use  of  technical  terms,  in  the  sincerity  and 
spontaneity  of  his  enthusiasm  for  music,  and  in  his 
broadly  idealistic  adaptation  of  the  art  to  his  ac- 
customed methods  of  thought.  In  spite,  however,  of 
this  general  appreciation  of  the  importance  of  Milton's 
knowledge  of  music,  no  attempts  have  yet  been  made 
to  systematize  the  data  at  hand  or  to  draw  from  them 
any  general  conclusions  regarding  the  poet's  mental 
habits.  Editors  and  commentators,  as  a  rule,  have 
been  content  to  give  an  explanation  of  the  technical 
terms  used  by  Milton,  and  even  in  this  limited  field 
many  details  of  musical  significance  have  been  over- 
loked.  It  is  the  object  of  this  dissertation,  therefore, 
to  supplement  the  work  of  these  scholars  by  search- 
ing out  every  possible  reference  to  music  in  the 
writings  of  Milton,  and  to  focus  the  entire  array  of 
material  upon  the  man  himself,  in  the  hope  of  cast- 
ing some  light  upon  his  character  and  personality. 
Such  points  as  have  already  been  definitely  settled 
receive  only  a  passing  notice,  and  the  emphasis  is 
placed  throughout  upon  new  interpretations  and  con- 
clusions of  general  interest. 

The  body  of  the  dissertation,  consisting  of  five 
chapters,  represents  a  synthesis  of  all  the  relevant 
material  and  an  exposition  of  the  most  important  de- 
ductions therefrom.  The  five  Appendixes  and  the 
Glossary  supply  the  details  from  which  these  deduc- 
tions   are    drawn,    and    must  therefore   be    frequently 


vi  Preface 

consulted   for   a    proper    understanding   of   the    main 
body  of  the  dissertation. 

It  should  be  explained  that  throughout  this  book 
the  word  "  art "  is  used  in  contrast  with  the  word 
"  theory,"  as  representing  what  is  often  called  the 
"  practical "  side  of  music,  that  is,  actual  performance 
through  instruments  or  the  voice.  This  distinction 
must  be  clearly  understood  especially  in  reading  the 
third  and  fourth  chapters. 

The  Bibliography  indicates  the  chief  sources  of 
historical,  biographical  and  critical  material.  The  text 
of  Masson  has  been  followed  in  quotations  from  the 
Poetical  Works,  and  of  the  Bohn  edition  for  the  Prose 
Works. 

Some  of  the  material  of  this  dissertation  has  already 
been  published  in  an  essay  "  On  Milton's  Knowledge 
of  Music,"  appearing  in  a  collection  of  "  Haverford 
Essays,"  1909,  and  an  address  u  Milton  and  Music " 
delivered  before  the  Convocation  of  Lutheran  Church 
Musicians  of  America  in  1908,  and  later  published  in 
the  "  Lutheran  Church  Review."  The  ideas  contained 
in  these  earlier  essays,  however,  have  since  been  sub- 
ject to  revision  and  modification. 

The  author  is  indebted  to  all  of  those  who  have 
contributed  to  this  book  by  their  interest  and  helpful 
advice,  but  especially  to  Dr.  Charles  G.  Osgood  of 
Princeton  University,  who  suggested  the  subject  and 
supplied  the  chief  inspiration  for  its  development,  and 
without  whose  untiring  energy  and  faithful  instruction 
the  work  could  not  possibly  have  been  completed. 

Sigmund  Gottfried  Spaeth. 

New  York,  May  3,   19 1 3. 


ENGLISH  MUSIC 
IN  THE  SEVENTEENTH  CENTURY 

A  great  man  cannot  be  studied  apart  from  his  natural 
surroundings.  John  Milton,  as  a  poet,  as  a  musician,  or 
as  a  highly  developed  example  of  the  alliance  of  both 
arts,  fails  to  reveal  his  true  significance  except  as  he 
is  regarded  in  the  light  of  his  environment  and  of  the 
characteristics  of  his  own  time.  Before  attempting  an 
exposition  of  Milton's  knowledge  of  music,  therefore,  it 
becomes  necessary  to  examine  and  interpret  the  general 
conditions  of  music  which  prevailed  in  his  time,  to  analyze 
the  popular  taste,  and  to  become  acquainted  with  the 
representative  composers  and  their  style  of  work. 

As  far  back  as  the  reign  of  Henry  VIII  a  golden  age 
of  English  music  had  begun.  At  that  time  there  was 
little  real  musical  activity  on  the  continent,  and  that  little 
was  sporadic  and  inconstant,  without  order  or  design.  The 
Flemings,  it  is  true,  had  displayed  marked  ability,  partic- 
ularly in  the  development  of  the  madrigal  form,  but 
their  efforts  were  so  widely  scattered,  and  their  composers 
forced  to  cater  to  such  a  variety  of  tastes,  that  a  really 
characteristic  style  was  never  developed.  Germany  pro- 
duced only  one  or  two  good  composers.  Italy,  pre- 
occupied with  her  rediscovery  of  the  ancient  world,  con- 
tributed nothing  of  her  own  to  the  world's  music,  but 
satisfied  herself,  as  did  most  of  the  other  continental 
nations,  with  the  work  of  imported  Flemish  composers. 
In  England  alone  was  there  a  distinct  native  school.  This 
was,  of  course,  largely  due  to  the  encouragement  and 
example  of  Henry  VIII  himself,  who  was  a  composer  and 


2  Milton  s  Knowledge  of  Music 

performer  of  ability.  But  aside  from  the  efforts  of  indi- 
viduals, there  was  a  national  spirit  and  a  consistency  of 
style  in  English  music  entirely  lacking  in  that  of  other 
countries.  The  English  people,  as  a  whole,  seem  to  have 
acquired  a  definite  taste  earlier  than  the  other  nations,  and 
the  means  of  gratifying  this  taste  were  not  wanting.  Com- 
posers and  performers  alike  were  plentiful,  and,  while  no 
great  individual  reputations  were  made,  a  national  school 
was  established  which  preserved  its  characteristics  and 
retained  its  distinctiveness  for  more  than  a  century.  The 
climax  of  this  long  sustained  activity  in  music  came,  as 
may  be  supposed,  in  the  time  of  Elizabeth,  when  English 
music  and  English  literature  alike  reached  their  highest 
level.1 

In  vocal  music,  it  is  true,  Italy  had,  by  the  end  of  the 
sixteenth  century,  taken  the  lead,  through  the  work  of 
Palestrina  and  his  successors.  But  the  English  instru- 
mental music  was  still  supreme.2 

Characteristic  of  the  Elizabethan  period  was  the  madri- 
gal form,  which,  while  adapted  from  the  Flemish  and 
Italian  schools,  attained  the  widest  popularity  in  Eng- 
land. Madrigals  were  originally  vocal  works,  written  in 
counterpoint,  without  accompaniment.3  The  number 
of  parts  varied,  but  was  commonly  four  or  five.  The 
words  were  of  little  importance,  and  frequently  consisted 
of  meaningless  phrases  repeated  over  and  over.     Such  a 

1  I  make  this  statement  with  no  thought  of  detracting  in  the 
least  from  the  reputation  of  Purcell,  who  was  beyond  a  doubt 
England's  greatest  musician.  He  was,  however,  an  individual 
genius  rather  than  the  product  of  a  school.  The  English  music 
of  his  time  was,  on  the  whole,  inferior  to  that  which  had  gone 
before. 

2  For  the  history  of  English  music  in  the  sixteenth  century,  see 
Hawkins,  History  of  Music,  vol.  3  ;  Burney,  History  of  Music, 
vol.  3  ;  Henry  Davey,  History  of  English  Music,  chaps.  3,  4,  5. 

8  See  definition  in  Grove's  Dictionary. 


English  Music  in  the  Seventeenth  Century  3 

style  of  song,  it  may  be  imagined,  differed  little  from 
instrumental  music.  In  fact,  the  later  polyphonic  in- 
strumental music  was  the  direct  outgrowth  of  the 
madrigal  school.  The  same  characteristics  of  counter- 
point and  of  complex  harmonies  are  to  be  found  in  the 
sacred  music  of  the  day.  The  compositions  of  Tallis  and 
Tye  served  as  models  for  succeeding  generations.  For  it 
was  the  sacred  music  of  the  Elizabethans  that  proved 
most  worthy  of  enduring  fame.  It  must  not  be  assumed, 
however,  that  any  very  distinct  lines  were  drawn  between 
the  sacred  and  the  secular,  or  even  between  the  popular 
and  the  "  skilled  "  music.  All  rested  upon  a  common 
foundation,  the  famous  ecclesiastical  modes  of  Saint 
Gregory,  which,  in  turn,  corresponded  to  the  Greek  scales 
of  the  diatonic  genus. 

It  will  be  seen  that  Elizabethan  music  was  of  the  formal 
rather  than  of  the  emotional  type.  The  mathematical 
formulas  which  had  been  handed  down  from  ancient  times 
still  governed  the  structure  of  music.  The  test  applied  to 
a  composition  was  not  "Is  it  beautiful  ?  "  but  rather 
"  Is  it  correct  ?  "  and  the  critical  conclusion  usually  took 
the  form,  "  If  it  is  correct,  it  must  be  beautiful,"  rather 
than  "  If  it  is  beautiful,  it  must  be  correct."  In  spite  of 
its  apparent  spontaneity  Elizabethan  music  depended 
less  upon  natural  instincts,  than  upon  artificial  laws  and 
regulations.  It  would  be  wrong  to  assume,  however,  that 
this  condition  of  affairs  resulted  in  a  musical  aristocracy, 
composed  only  of  the  highly  educated.  As  a  matter  of 
fact,  the  ordinary  laws  of  composition  were  so  simple  as 
to  be  within  the  grasp  of  any  one.  Thus  a  formal  style 
of  music  prevailed  among  all  classes,  the  elements  of 
which  were  the  same  for  the  popular  ballad-writer,  as  for 
the  severely  correct  composer  of  sacred  music.1 

1  Wooldridge,  in  his  Preface  to  Chappell's  Old  English  Popular 
Music  (p.  xii),    particularly  emphasizes  the  free  use  of  the  eccles- 

a2 


4  Milton  s  Knowledge  of  Music 

With  a  knowledge  of  music  thus  within  the  reach  of  all 
men,  it  is  not  surprising  that,  in  the  recognized  composers 
of  the  day,  versatility  was  of  all  things  desirable.  A 
typical  genius  of  the  time  was  William  Byrd,  a  man  who 
achieved  astonishing  success  both  as  composer  and  per- 
former on  various  instruments,  and  who  could  turn  his 
hand  to  every  style  of  sacred  and  secular  music.1 

Thomas  Morley,  author  of  A  Plain  and  Easy  Intro- 
duction to  Practical  Music,  showed  almost  equal  versatil- 
ity. Not  only  did  his  great  work  remain  the  standard 
text-book  of  musical  theory  for  generations,  but  his 
madrigals  and  other  compositions  attained  a  wide  popu- 
larity.2 

There  were  many  other  composers  similar  to  these,  and 
all  were  versatile,  highly  inventive,  and  prolific. 

The  seventeenth  century,  therefore,  received  a  musical 
heritage  of  the  highest  value,  and  it  was  not  slow  in  putting 
this  capital  to  use.  For  music  had  now  become  not  only 
the  most  popular  art  in  England,  but  a  recognized  and 
universally  respected  science.  Never  had  the  interest  in 
music  been  so  general  and  spontaneous.     It  was  not 

iastical  modes  in  the  composition  of  all  kinds  of  secular  music  until 
about  the  second  decade  of  the  seventeenth  century.  "  The  popular 
treatment  of  them  differed  in  no  essential  respect  from  the  eccles- 
iastical ;  and  the  nameless  authors  of  the  ballad  tunes,  for  anything 
their  work  shows  to  the  contrary,  might  well  have  been  the  very 
men  whom  we  know  and  honor  as  composers  for  the  church.  Even 
in  such  a  matter  as  the  choice  of  scales  to  write  in,  there  is  no  differ- 
ence ;  the  modes  most  used  and  those  most  neglected  being  in  both 
kinds  of  music  the  same." 

1  Henry  Peacham  in  his  Compleat  Gentleman,  p.  100,  eulogizes 
particularly  the  sacred  music  of  "  our  Phoenix  Mr.  William  Byrd, 
whom,  in  that  kind,  I  know  not  whether  any  may  equall,  I  am 
sure  none  excell,  even  by  the  judgement  of  France  and  Italy,  who 
are  very  sparing  in  the  commendation  of  strangers,  in  regard  of  that 
conceipt  they  hold  of  themselves." 

2  Grove's  Did.  s.  v.  Morley. 


English  Music  in  the  Seventeenth  Century  5 

a  period  of  great  composers,  for  under  the  existing  condi- 
tions these  were  not  necessary.  It  was  rather  a  time  of 
universal  participation  in  music,  when  all  men,  no  matter 
what  their  condition  or  ability,  could  in  some  way  be 
active  in  the  art.  This  fact  must  be  understood  by  one 
who  would  appreciate  the  spirit  of  the  seventeenth  cen- 
tury music.  Through  the  activity  of  the  Elizabethans 
a  musical  atmosphere  had  been  created  in  which  men  of 
all  classes  moved.  No  gentleman  could  claim  to  be  well- 
educated  unless  he  possessed  considerable  musical  skill. 
Peacham  evidently  considered  his  requirements  very 
modest  when  he  said :  "  I  desire  no  more  in  you  than  to 
sing  your  part  sure  and  at  the  first  sight ;  withall,  to  play 
the  same  upon  your  Viol,  or  the  exercise  of  the  Lute, 
privately  to  yourself. "  1 

Indeed,  the  ability  to  perform  on  some  instrument,  or 
at  least  to  sing  a  part  at  sight,  was  taken  as  a  matter  of 
course.  It  is  so  regarded  in  the  opening  dialogue  of 
Morley's  treatise,  in  which  one  of  the  interlocutors,  having 
been  "  earnestly  requested  to  sing,"  says :  "  But  when, 
after  many  excuses,  I  protested  unfainedly  that  I  could 
not,  everyone  began  to  wonder ;  yea  some  whispered 
to  others,  demanding  how  I  was  brought  up."  2  It  was 
evidently  the  custom  at  social  gatherings  for  the  whole 
company  to  join  in  song.  The  music -books  of  the  day 
were  printed  with  the  parts  facing  in  different  directions, 
so  that  the  singers  could  gather  round  a  table  and  sing 
all  the  parts  from  one  book.3  Various  instruments, 
particularly  the  conventional  "  chest  of  viols,"  formed 
a  necessary  part  of  the  furnishing  of  a  gentleman's  house- 
hold.   It  was  nothing  unusual  for  amateurs  to  produce 


1  Compleat  Gentleman,  p.  100. 

2  Morley,  p.  1. 

3  See  the  illustrations  in  Morley,  pp.  254-257. 


6  Milton's  Knowledge  of  Music 

compositions  of  real  merit,  and  the  art  of  improvisation, 
both   instrumental    and   vocal,    was   highly   developed. 

The  popularity  of  music  was  by  no  means  confined  to 
the  aristocracy.  As  in  the  sixteenth  century,  little  distinc- 
tion was  made  between  "skilled"  and  "popular"  music. 
The  common  people  had  not  only  their  folk-songs  and 
ballads,  but  glees,  rounds,  catches,  and  the  various  styles 
of  country  dance  as  well.  There  was  a  great  demand  for 
servants  or  apprentices  of  musical  ability.1  "  Tinkers 
sang  catches  ;  milkmaids  sang  ballads  ;  carters  whistled  ; 
each  trade,  and  even  the  beggars,  had  their  special  songs  ; 
the  base- viol  hung  in  the  drawing-room  for  the  amusement 
of  waiting  visitors  ;  and  the  lute,  cittern,  and  virginals, 
for  the  amusement  of  waiting  customers,  were  the  neces- 
sary furniture  of  the  barber's  shop.  They  had  music 
at  dinner ;  music  at  supper  ;  music  at  weddings  ;  music 
at  funerals ;  music  at  night  ;  music  at  dawn  ;  music  at 
work  ;  music  at  play.  He  who  felt  not,  in  some  degree, 
its  soothing  influences,  was  viewed  as  a  morose  unsocial 
being,  whose  converse  ought  to  be  shunned  and  regarded 
with  suspicion  and  distrust."  2 

Curiously  enough,  among  the  common  people  as  well 
as  in  the  cultured  classes,  music  seemed  to  appeal  rather 
to  the  ingenuity  than  to  the  emotions  of  men.  It 
was  the  science  and  the  theory  of  the  structure  of 
music  rather  than  its  mere  effect  on  the  feelings  that 
attracted  interest.  To  the  uneducated  mind,  the  mys- 
teries of  a  "  round,"  with  its  mathematical  accuracy, 
possessed  a  fascination  which  the  most  melodious  of 
folk-songs  could  not  equal.  To  a  more  highly  developed 
intellect  the  laws  of  harmony,  "  proportion,"  and  counter- 
point provided  endless  material  for  thought.     Peacham 

1  See  the  interesting  note  on  this  subject,  Chappell  1.   1. 

2  Chappell  1.  59.  Cf.  also  the  references  which  he  gives  on 
pp.  60,  61,  65-68. 


English  Music  in  the  Seventeenth  Century  7 

expresses  the  prevailing  attitude  of  mind  in  a  characteris- 
tic sentence  :  "  Infinite  is  the  sweet  variety  that  the 
Theorique  of  Musicke  exerciseth  the  mind  withall,  as 
the  contemplation  of  proportion,  of  Concords  and  Dis- 
cords, diversity  of  Moods  and  Tones,  infinitenesse  of 
Invention,  etc."  *  Many  composers,  treating  music 
strictly  as  a  science,  occupied  their  time  with  mere  ex- 
periments in  complexity.  Works  were  composed  whose 
sole  object  seemed  to  be  a  multiplication  of  parts.2  Con- 
formity to  rules  was  all-important.  Vocal  culture  was 
limited  almost  entirely  to  the  teaching  of  sight-singing 
and  the  "  art  of  descant."  Little  or  no  attention  was 
given  to  the  manner  of  producing  or  modifying  the  quality 
of  tones.  Similarly  instrumental  virtuosity  was  rare, 
except  among  the  highly  trained  professionals.  The 
appeal  to  the  emotions  being  a  secondary  matter,  it  was 
important  only  to  "  play  the  part  correctly."  In  view 
of  this  formalizing  tendency,  it  is  surprising  to  find  a 
real  melodic  beauty  in  many  of  the  compositions  of  the 
period.  Too  often,  however,  it  was  lost  under  a  mass  of 
harmonic  complexities  and  artificial  embellishments. 

But  even  at  the  beginning  of  the  seventeenth  century 
this  rigidly  formal  theory  of  music  was  falling  into  dis- 
favor. Thomas  Campion,  now  known  for  his  poetry 
rather  than  for  his  music,  was  one  of  the  earliest  to  rebel. 
In  the  preface  to  his  Ayres,  1601,  he  expressed  himself 
very  strongly  against  the  old  style  of  music,  which  he 
called  "  long,  intricate,  bated  with  fugue,  chained  with 
syncopation,"  and  attacked  in  particular  the  "  harsh 
and  dull  confused  Fantasy,  where  in  a  multitude  of  Points 
the   harmony   is   quite   drowned."     In   consequence   of 

1  Compleat  Gentleman,  p.  103. 

2  An  "In  Nomine  of  forty  parts,"  written  by  Milton's  father, 
is  a  famous  example.  See  Aubrey,  Brief  Lives  2.  62  ;  E.  Philips, 
Life,  pp.  352-353  ;  and  below,  p.  12. 


8  Milton's  Knowledge  of  Music 

such  views  as  these,  the  contrapuntal  madrigals  gradually 
lost  their  popularity.  English  music  inclined  towards  the 
monodic  style,  thereby  gaining  in  dramatic  value,  and 
preparing  the  way  for  recitative  and  opera.  Polyphony 
became  characteristic  of  instrumental  rather  than  of 
vocal  music,  for  it  was  found  that  the  complicated  har- 
monies which  had  been  produced  with  difficulty  by  un- 
trained voices  became  clear  and  pleasing  when  sounded 
by  instruments,  even  in  comparatively  unskilled  hands. 
The  so-called  "  fancies  "  and  "  little  consorts  "  for  viols 
therefore  grew  to  be  the  most  popular  instrumental  forms, 
and  on  the  vocal  side  the  simple  "  ayres,"  with  the 
accompaniment  of  the  lute,  took  the  place  of  the  compli- 
cated madrigals. 

The  development  of  the  monodic  school  resulted  in  a 
most  intimate  connection  between  English  music  and 
English  poetry.  In  the  time  of  the  madrigals  words  had 
been  of  minor  importance,  often  quite  meaningless,  and 
never  more  than  mere  doggerel.  But  in  the  new  order 
of  things  there  was  no  reason  why  the  same  man  should 
write  both  text  and  music,  for  each  of  these  now  had  a  value 
of  its  own.  The  composers  of  "  ayres  "  were  only  too  glad 
to  find  material  in  the  poetry  of  the  day,  and  often  added 
to  its  beauty  by  their  settings.  The  poets,  on  the  other 
hand,  realized  the  advantages  of  music  as  an  appeal  to 
public  favor,  and  were  not  slow  to  express  their  appre- 
ciation of  the  work  of  the  composers.1  Thus  a  mutually 
helpful  intimacy  arose.  The  music  sometimes  increased 
the  effectiveness  of  the  words  ;  the  words  often  immor- 
talized the  music.2 

1  Harry  Lawes,  who  seems  to  have  been  a  great  favorite,  evoked 
commendatory  verses  not  only  from  Milton,  but  from  Waller  and 
Herrick  as  well. 

2  Cf.  for  example  the  Milton-Lawes  Sweet  Echo.  The  import 
of  this  alliance  between  music  and  poetry  is  clearly  revealed  in  Mil- 
ton's own  career,  and  it  is  therefore  particularly  to  be  emphasized. 


English  Music  in  the  Seventeenth  Century  9 

It  may  be  objected  that  in  thus  describing  the  English 
music  of  the  seventeenth  century  I  have  neglected  to 
take  into  account  the  hostile  Puritan  influences.  These 
must,  of  course,  be  considered,  yet  they  are  by  no  means 
so  important  as  is  now  generally  supposed.  Through 
the  misstatements  of  historians,  such  as  Ouseley  and 
Hullah,  the  Puritan  hostility  to  music  has  been  grossly 
exaggerated,  and  their  attitude  entirely  misrepresented. 
It  is  true  that  the  Puritans  often  objected  to  sacred 
music.  There  are  even  traditions  that  some  of  the 
more  fanatical  showed  their  objections  by  destroying 
cathedral  organs  and  choir-books.1  But  it  cannot  be 
proved  that  secular  music  was  ever  regarded  with  such 
disfavor.  In  fact,  statistics  show  that  throughout  the 
period  of  Puritan  supremacy  music  was  composed,  publish- 
ed, and  performed  as  regularly  as  ever  before.2  In  an 
anonymous  Short  Treatise  against  Stage-plays  (1625)  3  we 
find  the  statement  that  "  music  is  a  cheerful  recreation 
to  the  mind  that  hath  been  blunted  with  serious  medi- 
tations." It  is  expressly  mentioned  among  "  holy  and 
good  recreations,  both  comfortable  and  profitable." 

The  attitude  of  William  Prynne  may  well  represent  that 
of  the  average  narrow-minded  but  educated  Puritan.  In 
his  Histriomastix  he  attacks  light  music,  it  is  true,  but 
he  begins  the  attack  with  the  words  "  That  Music  of  it- 
self is  lawful,  useful,  and  commendable,  no  man,  no 
Christian  dares  deny,  since  the  Scriptures,  Fathers,  and 
generally  all  Christian,  all  Pagan  authors  extant,  do  with 
one  consent  aver  it."  4    As  for  the  narrow-minded,  un- 


1  See  the  citations  in  C.  F.  A.  Williams'  Story  of  the  Organ,  1903, 
pp.  109-111. 

2  For  these  statistics,  see  Davey,  pp.  274-275  ;  Oxford  History 
of  Music  3.  208-209. 

3  Reprinted  in  the  Roxburgh  Library,  1869. 

4  Histriomastix  1.  5.  10. 


10  Milton  s  Knowledge  of  Music 

educated  type  of  Puritan,  it  is  a  well-known  tradition  that 
the  soldiers  of  the  army  went  into  battle  singing  Psalms. 
Of  the  educated,  broad-minded  Puritans,  Milton  himself 
belongs,  of  course,  to  the  finest  type.  But  there  were 
others  also  who  showed  a  very  decided  love  for  music. 
Cromwell  owned  a  valuable  organ,  kept  a  private  musi- 
cian, and  gave  "  State  concerts."  l  Colonel  Hutchinson, 
the  regicide,  "could,"  according  to  his  wife,  "dance 
admirably  well,"  and  "  had  a  great  love  to  music,  and 
often  diverted  himself  with  a  viol,  on  which  he  played 
masterly." 2  Finally,  as  representing  the  uneducated  but 
liberal  Puritan  of  later  times,  John  Bunyan  may  be 
cited.  His  writings  are  full  of  the  love  of  music,  further 
evidence  of  which  is  given  by  the  well-known  story  of 
the  flute  cut  from  the  leg  of  a  prison-chair.3 

Puritan  England,  then,  was  by  no  means  unmusical. 
If  anything,  the  attack  upon  ecclesiastical  music  strength- 
ened the  interest  in  secular  music,  and  its  popularity 
increased  rather  than  diminished.  It  was  only  through 
the  degenerate  taste  of  the  Restoration  period  that 
English  music  really  suffered.  Of  that  period,  however, 
as  having  had  no  real  influence  on  Milton,  nothing  need 
be  said  here. 

The  seventeenth  century,  as  a  whole,  represents  the 
climax  and  the  succeeding  decline  of  English  music.  It 
was  a  century  which  received  the  heritage  of  a  musical 
supremacy  stretching  as  far  back  as  the  time  of  Henry  VIII, 
and  reaching  its  highest  level  in  the  Elizabethan  period. 
As  a  result  of  this  earlier  supremacy,  English  music  in 
the  seventeenth  century  commanded  the  widest  popular 
interest  and  enthusiasm  ;  and  this  enthusiasm  was  felt 

1  Firth,  Oliver  Cromwell,  pp.  457-458. 

2  Memoirs  of  the  Life  of  Col.  Hutchinson,  by  his  Widow  Lucy, 
H.  G.  Bohn,  London,  1848,  p.  22. 

3  See  Davey,  p.  267. 


English  Music  in  the  Seventeenth  Century  11 

not  so  much  for  the  emotional  as  for  the  formal  aspect  of 
music.  Even  the  popular  styles  of  composition  were  cal- 
culated to  appeal  to  the  intellect  rather  than  to  the 
feelings.  The  development  of  the  monodic  school,  how- 
ever, brought  a  more  intelligent  appreciation  of  the  beauty 
of  pure  melody.  Moreover  the  increasing  importance  of 
the  words  in  vocal  music  led  to  a  close  alliance  with  the 
sister  art  of  poetry,  an  alliance  which  showed  its  effects 
in  the  work  of  most  of  the  greater  musicians  and  poets 
of  the  day.1 

Milton's  environment,  then,  was  distinctly  musical. 
He  lived  at  a  time  when  the  formalizing  tendency  of  the 
Elizabethan  period  was  still  felt,  but  was  mingled  with 
a  truer  sense  of  proportion  and  a  clearer  recognition  of 
values,  the  direct  result  of  which  was  a  close  and  mutually 
beneficial  relationship  between  music  and  poetry. 

1  Cf.  Milton's  own  reference  to  the  "  Sphere-born  harmonious 
sisters,  Voice  and  Verse,"  8.  M .  2 ;  and  the  sonnet  To  Mr.  H.  Lawes. 


II 

THE  LIFE  OF  MILTON  AS  A  MUSICIAN 

An  account  of  the  music  of  Milton's  time  leads  naturally 
to  a  consideration  of  the  more  vital  influences  in  the  poet's 
life — the  influences  of  heredity  and  of  peculiar  environ- 
ment. 

Milton's  father  was  a  musician — no  mere  enthusiastic 
amateur,  but  a  composer  of  real  merit,  "  so  eminently 
skilled  ...  as  to  be  ranked  among  the  first  masters  of 
his  time."  1  Aubrey  tells  us  that  "  he  was  an  ingenious 
man,  delighted  in  musique,  composed  many  songs  now 
in  print,  especially  that  of  Oriana."2  Edward  Philips, 
the  poet's  nephew,  brings  out  the  fact  that  the  elder 
Milton,  although  a  scrivener  by  trade,  was  not  "  wholly 
a  slave  to  the  world  ;  for  he  sometimes  found  vacant 
hours  to  the  study  (which  he  made  his  recreation)  of 
the  noble  science  of  musick  ",  and  that  "  for  several 
songs  of  his  composition  ...  he  gained  the  reputation  of 
a  considerable  master  in  this  most  charming  of  all  the 
liberal  sciences."3 

Aubrey  and  Philips  both  speak  with  admiration  of  an 
In  Nomine  of  forty  or  possibly  eighty  parts,  composed 

1  Hawkins  3.  368.  Cf.  Burney  3.  134,  where  the  elder  Milton 
is  called  "  equal  in  science,  if  not  genius,  to  the  best  musicians  of 
his  age."     S.  v.  Milton  in  Grove's  Diet. 

2  Brief  Lives  2.  62.  The  song  "  of  Oriana  "  was  a  madrigal 
for  six  voices  published  in  1601  in  a  collection  entitled  "  The 
Triumphs  of  Oriana"  to  which  such  eminent  composers  as  Wilby, 
Morley,  and  Ellis  Gibbons  also  contributed.  Milton's  song,  No. 
xviii  in  the  collection,  was  called  "  Fair  Oriana  in  the  Morn." 
The  words  are  given  by  Todd,  Life,  1809,  p.  4,  n. 

•  Life  352-353. 


The  Life  of  Milton  as  a  Musician  13 

by  Milton's  father,  for  which  he  received  a  gold  medal 
from  "  a  Polish  prince."  * 

Aside  from  such  personal  opinions,  the  ability  of  the 
elder  Milton  is  clearly  proved  by  his  place  as  a  composer 
in  the  best  of  the  Elizabethan  music-books.2  A  first-hand 
comparison  of  these  works  with  the  recognized  master- 
pieces of  the  time  shows  Milton  to  have  equalled  the 
best  of  his  contemporaries  in  contrapuntal  skill,  and  to 
have  been  above  the  average  in  melodic  inventiveness. 

Milton's  own  estimate  of  his  father  as  a  musician  is  for 
us  of  the  greatest  interest.  In  his  Latin  Elegy  Ad  Patrem 
he  builds  up  an  elaborate  defense  of  poetry.  He  urges  his 
father's  musical  skill  as  one  of  the  strongest  arguments  in 
favor  of  his  own  career  as  a  poet,  when  he  says  : 

1  Brief  Lives  2.  62  ;  E.  Philips,  Life  352-353.  For  a  definition 
of  In  Nomine  see  Hawkins  3.  280,  n.,  and  Grove's  Diet.  s.  v.  In 
Nomine. 

2  Four  of  his  compositions  appeared  in  Sir  William  Leighton's 
Tears  or  Lamentations  of  a  Sorrowful  Soul,  1614,  namely  Thou  God 
of  Might,  four  voices,  printed  in  Burney  3.  139  ;  0  Lord  behold, 
five  voices,  0  had  I  Wings,  five  voices,  printed  in  Hawkins  3.  369  ; 
//  that  a  Sinner's  Sighs,  five  voices.  Byrd,  Dowland,  Wilby,  and 
Coperario  also  contributed  to  this  collection.  The  settings  of  the 
psalm  tunes  York  and  Norwich,  appearing  in  Ravenscroft's  Psalter, 
1621,  are  by  Milton's  father.  Hawkins  (Hist,  of  Music  3.  367-368) 
says  of  "that  common  one  called  York  tune"  that  "the  tenor  part 
of  this  tune  is  so  well  known,  that  within  memory  half  the  nurses 
in  England  were  used  to  sing  it  by  way  of  lullaby  ;  and  the  chimes 
of  many  country  churches  have  played  it  six  or  eight  times  in  four 
and  twenty  hours  from  time  immemorial."  A  collection  entitled 
Tristitiae  Remedium,  dated  1616  and  probably  edited  by  Thomas 
Myriell,  contains  six  English  and  Latin  motets  by  the  elder  Milton. 
Two  of  these,  When  David  heard  and  /  am  the  Resurrection,  both 
for  five  voices,  are  printed  in  Xo.  xxii,  Old  English  Edition,  from  the 
British  Museum  Add.  Mss.  29.  372-377.  The  other  four,  still  in 
manuscript,  are  0  Woe  is  Me,  five  voices,  Precamur  sancte  Domine, 
How  doth  the  Holy  City,  and  She  weepeth  continually,  all  for  six 
voices.  Christ  Church,  Oxford,  has  manuscripts  of  //  ye  love  Me, 
four  voices,  and  five  Fancies  in  five  and  six  parts. 


14  Miltoris  Knowledge  of  Music 

Nor  thou  persist,  I  pray  thee,  still  to  slight 

The  sacred  Nine,  and  to  imagine  vain 

And  useless,  pow'rs,  by  whom  inspir'd,  thyself 

Art  skilful  to  associate  verse  with  airs 

Harmonious,  and  to  give  the  human  voice 

A  thousand  modulations,  heir  by  right 

Indisputable  of  Arion's  fame. 

Now  say,  what  wonder  is  it,  if  a  son 

Of  thine  delight  in  verse,  if  so  conjoin'd 

In  close  affinity,  we  sympathize 

In  social  arts,  and  kindred  studies  sweet  ? 

Such  distribution  of  himself  to  us 

Was  Phoebus'  choice  ;  thou  hast  thy  gift,  and  I 

Mine  also,  and  between  us  we  receive, 

Father  and  son,  the  whole  inspiring  God.1 

With  such  a  father  to  teach  him  the  rudiments  of  the 
art  it  is  only  natural  to  suppose  that  the  boy  Milton  was 
very  early  in  life  set  to  work  at  musical  studies.2  We 
can  well  imagine  the  musical  atmosphere  of  the  Milton 
household.  There  must  have  been  an  organ  in  the  house, 
and  probably  there  were  other  instruments  as  well,  for 
the  scrivener  could  afford  certain  luxuries.  Possibly 
his  musical  friends  assembled  in  his  rooms  at  times. 
Some  of  the  leading  composers  of  the  day  may  have  been 
present  at  these  informal  gatherings.  The  great  John 
Wilby,  king  of  madrigal-writers,  must  have  been  at  least 
an  acquaintance  of  the  Milton  family.3  Possibly  the  youth- 
ful genius,  Thomas  Ravenscroft,  the  famous  Sir  William 
Leighton,  the  modest  but  talented  clergyman,  Thomas 

1  Ad  Pair  em  56-66,  Cowper's  translation,  pp.  61-62.  Quoted 
in  Latin  below,  Appendix  I,  p.   105. 

2  Aubrey  says  expressly,  "  His  father  instructed  him "  {Brief 
Lives  2.  67). 

8  His  works  appear  in  the  same  volumes  as  those  of  the  elder 
Milton. 


The  Life  of  Milton  as  a  Musician  15 

Myriell,  visited  the  house  at  times.1  From  such  as  these 
the  child  Milton  may  have  derived  his  first  conceptions 
of  music — music  of  such  excellence  as  to  suggest  to  him 
the  song  of  the  angels  themselves.  We  can  imagine  the 
awe  with  which  he  listened  as  they  tried  over  certain 
madrigals  or  airs  which  they  had  just  composed.  Later, 
perhaps,  when  he  had  attained  sufficiently  "  good  skill," 
he  was  permitted  to  join  in  the  music  of  these  great  men, 
to  sing  a  part  at  sight,  or  to  play  it  upon  the  organ. 

We  are  naturally  curious  to  know  what  music-books 
were  read  by  the  young  poet  in  these  first  stages,  and  from 
what  sources,  other  than  by  word  of  mouth,  he  acquired 
his  fundamental  knowledge.  It  may  be  assumed  that 
any  books  in  which  the  compositions  of  the  elder  Milton 
appeared  were  always  at  hand ;  though,  without  any  claim 
upon  personal  interest,  such  a  popular  collection  as  the 
Triumphs  ofOriana  must  have  occupied  a  prominent  place 
in  every  musical  household.  Ravenscroft's  Psalter,  Leigh- 
ton's  Tears  or  Lamentations  andMyriell's  Tristitiae  Remed- 
ium  probably  supplied  the  Milton  family  with  sacred  music. 
Coperario's  Musical  Banquet  and  his  Funeral  Tears  for 
the  Earl  of  Devonshire  may  have  given  the  poet  his  first 
acquaintance  with  the  monodic  style  of  composition. 
On  the  side  of  theory,  his  earliest  instruction  may  have 
come  from  Morley's  Plain  and  Easy  Introduction  to  Prac- 
tical Music  ;  and  from  this  source  he  probably  derived 
his  first  conceptions  of  "  proportion,"  of  concord  and 
discord,  and  of  "  descant "  or  "  measurable  music."  But 
he  also  showed  very  early  a  decided  taste  for  the  Greek 
and  Latin  writers,  and  in  their  pages  found  much  on 
the  subject  of  musical  theory.  After  once  delving  into 
the  mysticism  of  Pythagoras,  as  developed  by  Plato 
and  the  later  philosophers,  it  is  hardly  likely  that  the 

1  All  these  were  editors  of  the  elder  Milton's  compositions. 


16  Milton's  Knowledge  of  Music 

boy  poet  was  satisfied  with  anything  but  the  classic  ori- 
ginals. Even  Boethius  and  his  jumble  of  supposedly 
scientific  musical  theory  must  have  seemed  tame  in  com- 
parison with  the  great  thoughts  of  the  writers  whom  he 
imitated  and  attempted  to  expound.1  The  elder  Milton 
encouraged  this  taste  for  the  classics,2  therefore  it  is  very 
probable  that,  even  before  his  University  days,  the  boy 
had  some  knowledge  of  the  ancient  style  of  music. 

At  the  time  of  his  entrance  into  St.  Paul's  School,  the 
young  Milton  is  not  only  unusually  proficient  in  his  studies, 
but  a  musician  of  at  least  intelligence  and  appreciation,  and 
probably  of  considerable  skill.  He  plays  the  organ,  and 
possibly  other  instruments  as  well.3  He  already  knows 
something  of  theory  and  harmony.  In  St.  Paul's  Cathe- 
dral near  by,  he  has  an  opportunity  to  hear  the  best  sacred 
music  of  the  day.  Here  he  listens  to  the  great  sounds  of 
the  "  pealing  organ",  something  very  different  from  the 
small  instrument  in  his  father's  house.4  The  "  service  high 
and  anthems  clear,"  sung  by  the  "  full  voiced  quire," 
create  in  him  a  love  of  sacred  music  which  continues 
throughout  his  life. 

In  his  seventeenth  year  he  enters  Christ's  College,  Cam- 
bridge. By  this  time  he  has  "  acquired  a  proficiency  in 
various  languages,  and  .  .  .  made  a  considerable  progress 
in  philosophy."  5  His  musical  horizon  has  also  broad- 
ened.   He  is  already  formulating  his  own  theory  of  cosmo- 

1  Aristoxenus,  Aristides,  Claudius  Ptolemaeus,  etc. 

2  Ad  Pattern  78  ff. 

8  All  biographers  agree  as  to  Milton's  knowledge  of  the  organ. 
Richardson,  Rematks  on  Milton,  p.  v,  adds  the  bass-viol.  See  also 
Todd,  Life,  p.  148,  and  Eatliest  Life,  p.  21,  quoted  below,  p.  53,  n. 

4  John  Tomkins  was  at  that  time  organist  at  St.  Paul's.  The 
name  of  his  brother,  Thomas  Tomkins,  often  appears  in  music- 
books  with  that  of  the  elder  Milton.  It  is  likely  that  both  were 
friends  of  the  Milton  family.     Diet.  Nat.  Biog.  s.  v.   Tomkins. 

5  P.    W.   1.  254. 


The  Life  of  Milton  as  a  Musician  17 

graphy,  in  which  the  mystic  element  of  harmony  assumes 
an  important  part.1  It  is  a  conception  which  is  to  remain 
with  him  throughout  his  life — the  one  fixed  and  un- 
wavering point  amid  his  constantly  changing  and  dis- 
cordant surroundings. 

One  of  his  first  public  exercises,  written  early  in  his 
university  career,  is  an  essay  On  the  Music  of  the  Spheres.2 
He  shows  in  it  a  surprising  knowledge  of  the  Pythagorean 
system,  and  accuses  Aristotle  of  misrepresenting  its  true 
meaning.  His  concluding  words  give  the  first  indication 
of  a  thought  expressed  again  and  again  in  his  later  works : 
"If  we  bore  pure,  chaste,  snow-clean  hearts,  as  once 
Pythagoras  did,  then  indeed  our  ears  should  resound 
with  that  sweetest  music  of  the  circling  stars  and  be 
filled  with  it.  Then  all  things  should  on  the  instant 
return  as  to  that  golden  age.  Then,  free  at  last  from 
our  miseries,  we  should  lead  a  life  of  ease,  blessed  and 
enviable  even  by  the  gods."  3  He  introduces  half  jocular 
references  to  the  same  subject  into  his  second  epitaph 
on  Hobson,  the  University  Carrier.4  His  Vacation  Exercise 
distinctly  expresses  his  musical  feeling,6  and  in  another 
Prolusion,  entitled  Mane  citus  ledum  fuge,  there  is  a 
delicate  appreciation  of  the  music  of  Nature.6  Evidently 
the  youthful  poet  is  beginning  to  look  upon  music  more 
and  more  as  a  universal  element.  The  ode  On  the  Morn- 
ing of  Christ's  Nativity,  composed  during  Milton's  sixth 
year  at  Cambridge,  is  full  of  music.  It  is  the  expression 
of  a  most  remarkable  instinct  for  effects  of  sound,  which 
is  here  first  shown   to   be   characteristic  of  the  poet.7 

1  This  is  indicated  by  various  allusions  in  his  earliest  poems. 

2  See  Appendix  IV. 

3  Appendix  IV,  p.  136.  Cf.  H.  125-135  ;  S.  M.  17-28  ;  P.  L. 
5.  144  ff. 

4  U.  C.  2.  5-6.  6   V.  Ex.  33-38  ;  45-52  ;  62-64. 
6  Masson,  Life  1.  304.  7  Cf.  below,  pp.  90-92. 

b 


18  Milton's  Knowledge  of  Music 

The  spirit  in  which  it  is  written  is  clearly  illustrated  by 
his  letter  to  Diodati,  in  which  he  says,  "  We  are  engaged 
in  singing  the  heavenly  birth  of  the  King  of  Peace  .  .  . 
and  the  ethereal  choirs  of  hymning  angels."  "  You 
seem  to  be  enjoying  yourself  rarely,"  he  remarks,  in  the 
same  letter.  "  Have  you  not  music,  the  harp  lightly 
touched  by  nimble  hands,  and  the  lute  giving  time  to 
the  fair  ones  as  they  dance  in  the  old  tapestried  room  ?  "  * 

While  at  Cambridge  Milton  undoubtedly  had  a  chance 
to  learn  something  more  of  the  art  as  well  as  of  the  theory 
of  music.  There  was  an  organ  at  Christ's,  and  he  was 
by  this  time  well  able  to  use  it.  John  Hilton,  later 
famous  as  a  composer  of  airs,  graduated  Bachelor  of 
Music  at  Trinity  College  in  the  second  year  of  Milton's 
undergraduate  life,  and  it  is  likely  that  he  took  an  interest 
in  the  music  of  a  young  man  whose  father  was  so  well- 
known  and  highly  honored  in  his  own  field.  That  Milton 
took  any  active  part  in  the  musical  affairs  of  the  Uni- 
versity, however,  cannot  be  proved.  In  his  later  years 
he  showed  some  interest  in  the  university  theatricals, 
but  in  a  spirit  more  of  contempt  than  of  admiration.2 

With  his  retirement  to  Horton,  the  poet  devoted  him- 
self with  increased  zeal  to  the  study  of  the  classics.  His 
father's  influence  sustained  his  interest  in  music,  and  he 
probably  completed  at  this  time  his  reading  of  the  Greek 
writers  on  theory.  He  tells  us,  also,  that  he  often  went 
to  London  to  learn  "  something  new  in  mathematics  or 
music."  3  The  combination  is  a  natural  one.  To  Milton 
the  mathematical  or  formal  side  of  music  always  appealed 
through  its  exactness  and  strict  adherence  to  law.  He 
was  fond  of  dwelling  upon  the  "  numbers  "  and  the  "  mea- 
sure" of  music.4     The  visits  to  town  do  not  necessarily 

1  E.  6.  81-85  ;  37-40.     Masson's  translation,  Life  1.  227. 

2  CI. P.  W.  3. 114-115,  andMasson,Li/el.220ff.         3  P.  If.  1.255. 
4  P.  L.  3.  38  ;  580  ;  5.  150  ;  P.   R.  1.   170  ;  4.  255  ;  A.  71. 


The  Life  of  Milton  as  a  Musician  19 

indicate  regular  lessons.  The  poet  was  in  the  habit  of 
picking  up  books  of  all  kinds  when  he  had  the  opportunity, 
and  he  probably  took  as  much  interest  in  a  new  collection 
of  airs  or  of  organ  pieces  as  in  volumes  of  a  more  serious 
nature.  It  may  also  be  suggested  that  he  sometimes 
listened,  when  he  had  the  opportunity,  to  public  perform- 
ances of  good  music,  just  as  he  occasionally  patronized 
the  theatre.  We  can  imagine  the  young  poet  meeting 
on  these  occasions  with  a  small  circle  of  musical  friends, 
either  for  the  practice  or  the  enjoyment  of  the  art.  It 
is  to  be  assumed  that  the  acquaintance  of  Milton  with  the 
composer  Harry  Lawes  dated  from  the  early  part  of  the 
Horton  period.  Possibly  Lawes  was  Milton's  music 
teacher,  although  there  is  no  real  evidence  to  prove  that 
such  a  relation  existed  between  them.  The  musician 
was  fourteen  years  older  than  the  poet,  yet  a  close  friend- 
ship, founded  upon  mutual  admiration,  sprang  up  between 
them.  When  Lawes  was  requested  to  furnish  a  masque 
in  honor  of  the  aged  Countess  of  Derby,  he  naturally 
turned  to  Milton  for  the  words,  himself  supplied  the 
music,  and  the  result  was  the  Arcades.1  Here  again  the 
young  Milton  employed  his  conception  of  the  music  of 
the  spheres  with  high  poetic  effect,  and  in  so  doing  again 
clearly  reflected  the  influence  of  the  Greek  theory  of  music.2 
In  the  year  following  the  production  of  Arcades  Milton 
and  Lawes  once  more  combined  their  talents  to  produce 
a  masque,  this  time  the  Cornus.  Lawes  himself  played  a 
part,  and  Milton  took  advantage  of  this  chance  to  intro- 
duce various  subtle  flatteries  of  his  friend's  musical  ability.3 

1  The  question  whether  Milton's  part  in  the  Arcades  and  Comus 
was  due  to  Lawes  has  been  much  discussed.  After  all,  it  matters 
little  whether  both  were  engaged  independently,  or  the  one  at  the 
request  of  the  other. 

8  Cf.  A.  62-78,  and  Appendix  I,  p.  107. 

3  Cf.  C.  494-496  ;  86-88,  and  see  Appendix  II,  pp.  124-127. 

b2 


20  Milton's  Knowledge  of  Music 

In  1637  Lawes  was  permitted  by  Milton  to  publish  the 
poem,  although  the  author's  name  was  concealed.  The 
high  esteem  in  which  the  musician  held  the  attainment  of 
his  young  friend  is  shown  by  his  dedicatory  epistle  to 
Lord  Brackley,  in  which  he  calls  the  masque  "  so  lovely, 
and  so  much  desired  that  the  often  copying  of  it  hath 
tired  my  pen  to  give  my  several  friends  satisfaction,  and 
brought  me  to  a  necessity  of  producing  it  to  the  public 
view. ' '  Eight  years  later  Milton  returned  the  compliment 
with  a  sonnet  in  praise  of  Lawes'  music,  which,  in  1648, 
was  prefixed,  with  other  tributes  of  a  similar  nature,  to 
the  edition  of  his  Choice  Psalms.  Whether  or  not  we 
agree  with  the  seemingly  extravagant  laudations  of  this 
sonnet,  the  sincerity  of  Milton's  opinion  cannot  be 
doubted.1 

One  more  event  is  to  be  noted  in  the  friendship  of  John 
Milton  and  Harry  Lawes.  When,  in  1638,  the  poet 
planned  a  journey  to  France  and  Italy,  he  was  spared  the 
trouble  of  securing  a  passport  in  the  regular  fashion,  for 
Lawes  used  his  influence  to  procure  for  him  a  "  letter 
from  my  Lord  Warden  of  the  Cinque  Ports  under  his 
hand  and  seal,  which,"  he  said,  "  will  be  a  sufficient 
warrant  to  justify  your  going  out  of  the  King's  domin- 
ions." 2 

In  Italy  Milton  enters  upon  a  new  world  of  literature, 
science,  art,  and  music.  He  visits  the  aged,  blind  Galileo, 
and  possibly  derives  from  him  fresh  hints  regarding  the 
mathematics  of  music,  in  which  the  astronomer  has  been 
particularly  interested.3    He  is  received  with  open  arms 

1  See  the  notes  in  Appendix  II,  pp.  124-128. 

2  See  the  letter  from  Henry  Lawes,  Masson,  Life  1.  736. 

3  "  From  his  father,  who  was  an  exquisite  performer  on  the 
lute,  he  [Galileo]  learnt  both  the  theory  and  practice  of  music 
with  such  success  that  he  is  said  to  have  excelled  him  in  charm 
of  style  and  delicacy  of  touch.     He  was  taught  by  his  father  to 


The  Life  of  Milton  as  a  Musician  21 

by  the  Florentine  scholars,  and  made  a  member  of  the 
Academy  of  the  Svogliati.  Here  he  meets  the  most 
cultured  gentlemen  of  the  city.  He  takes  part  in  the 
regular  club  meetings,  reading  his  Latin  hexameters, 
which  are  enthusiastically  applauded.  He  enters  into 
scholarly  discussions,  some  of  which  may  even  deal  with 
his  favorite  theory  of  music.1 

He  continues  his  journey  to  Rome,  where  a  similar 
reception  awaits  him.  The  great  Cardinal  Francesco 
Barberini,  well-known  as  a  patron  of  music,  becomes  his 
personal  friend.  He  invites  him  to  a  magnificent  "  musical 
entertainment  "  at  his  palace,  and  receives  him  in  person 
at  the  door.2 

It  was  probably  on  this  occasion  that  Milton  for  the 
first  time  heard  the  famous  singer,  Leonora  Baroni. 
Accompanied  by  her  mother  and  her  sister  on  theorbo  and 
lute,  she  interpreted  in  an  entrancing  manner  the  Italian 
music  of  the  time.  Leonora's  singing  was  among  the  few 
impressions  of  this  journey  which  Milton  thought  worth 
recording  in  verse.  He  addressed  three  extravagant 
Latin  epigrams  to  her.  She  brought  again  to  his  mind 
the  celestial  harmony,  which  she  of  all  mortals  seemed  fit 
to  reproduce.3  Milton's  epigrams  are  conventional  in 
their  extravagance  ;  he  probably  would  not  have  wished 

play  on  the  organ  and  on  other  instruments  ;  but  the  lute  was  his 
favorite  instrument.  He  found  it  a  pleasure  in  youth,  and  a  solace 
in  the  last  days  of  his  life,  when  blindness  was  added  to  his  other 
sorrows."  —  The  Private  Life  of  Galileo  (anonymous),  p.  3.  See  also 
I  J.  J.  Fatier,  Galileo,  his  Life  and  Work,  p.  6  ;  Ludwig  Pilgrim, 
Galilei,  p.  6. 

1  A  sentence  in  Carlo  Dati's  letter  to  Milton  (1639)  suggests 
this  idea,  when  he  refers  to  the  poet  as  one  "  who,  with  astronomy 
as  his  guide,  hears  the  harmonious  sounds  of  the  celestial  spheres." 
— Masson,  Life  1.  785. 

2  See  Milton's  letter  to  Lucas  Holstenius,  P.   W.  3.  499. 

8  Cf.  the  three  epigrams,  and  the  notes  in  Appendix  III. 


22  Milton's  Knowledge  of  Music 

his  sentiments  to  be  taken  literally.  Yet  he  had,  no 
doubt,  a  sincere  admiration  for  her  musical  talent,  and 
expressed  it  in  the  poetical  terms  current  at  the  time.1 

At  this  time,  also,  he  may  have  heard  the  organ-playing 
of  Frescobaldi,  the  most  famous  performer  of  the  day 
on  that  instrument.2  His  mastery  of  fugue  and  his  skill 
in  improvising  must  have  impressed  Milton  deeply. 
We  find  distinct  descriptions  of  such  a  type  of  musician 
in  his  later  writings.3 

It  is  hardly  likely  that  Milton  at  this  time  came  in  con- 
tact with  Cardinal  Barberini's  favorite,  the  musician 
Giovanni  Battista  Doni,  who  was  then  absent  from  Rome. 
But  when  Milton  visited  Florence  a  second  time,  they 
must  certainly  have  met.  Doni's  name  occurs  in  the 
minutes  of  a  meeting  of  the  Svogliati,  and  he  is  reported 
to  have  "  read  a  scene  from  his  Tragedy  ",  while  Mil- 
ton's share  in  the  program  consisted  of  "  various  Latin 
poems." 4  Doni  was  not  only  an  accomplished  performer, 
but  a  composer  of  some  merit  and  a  distinguished  writer 
on  theory,5  and  we  are  justified  in  thinking  that  he  did 

1  A.  Ademollo,  in  his  pamphlet  La  Leonora  di  Milton  e  di  Cle- 
mente  IX.,  Ed.  Ricordi,  no.  50281,  takes  it  for  granted  that  Milton 
was  in  love  with  Leonora.  Cf.  also  W.  Hayley's  note  to  the  first 
epigram  in  his  edition  of  Cowper's  translations  of  Milton,  1808.  There 
is  no  reason  for  believing  that  Milton  regarded  Leonora  with  personal 
affection,  or  that  she  was  the  mysterious  lady  of  the  Italian  sonnets. 

2  A.  G.  Ritter,  Zur  Oeschichte  des  Orgelspiels,  p.  207,  in  speaking 
of  the  complex  character  of  Frescobaldi's  organ  music,  says  :  "  Er 
ist  unter  alien  Orgelspielern,  die  je  gelebt  haben,  der  einzige,  der 
solche  Aufgaben  denken  und  losen  konnte.  Keine  Schule  hat  ihm 
diese  Fahigkeit  beigebracht  ;  sie  war  bei  ihm  ein  Wiegengeschenk, 
wie  es  die  Natur  jeweilig  dem  einzelnen  mit  auf  den  Weg  gibt,  zu 
Gunsten,  oder  zu  Ungunsten,  stets  aber  zu  kennzeichnender  Aus- 
pragung  der  Individualitat." 

1  Cf.  P.  L.  11.  561-563. 

4  See  Stern,  Milton  und  seine  Zeit,  vol.  2,  Appendix  2. 

5  See  Hawkins  4.  190-203. 


The  Life  of  Milton  as  a  Musician  23 

much  to  increase  Milton's  respect  for  contemporary 
Italian  music.1 

Before  returning  home,  Milton  sent  from  Venice  a 
number  of  books  which  he  had  collected  in  his  travels, 
"  particularly,"  as  Edward  Philips  tells  us,  "a  chest  or 
two  of  choice  music  books  of  the  best  masters  flourishing 
about  that  time  in  Italy — namely,  Luca  Marenz(i)o, 
Monte  Verde,  Horatio  Vecchi,  Cif(r)a,  the  Prince  of 
Venosa,  and  several  others."2  We  may  well  imagine 
how  the  poet  on  his  return  exhibited  these  newly-found 
treasures  to  his  aged  father  and  to  his  interested  friend 
Harry  Lawes.  There  is  no  reason  to  believe  that  his 
intimacy  with  the  latter  ceased  even  with  the  outbreak 
of  the  Civil  War.3 

During  the  winter  of  1639 — 40,  Milton  undertook  the 
education  of  his  two  little  nephews,  Edward  and  John 
Philips.  He  made  music  an  important  part  of  his  in- 
struction. Aubrey  says,  "He  made  his  nephews  songsters, 
and  sing  from  the  time  they  were  with  him."  4  The  boys 
evidently  acquired  considerable  skill  and  taste  in  music, 
for  later  in  life  they  were  in  close  touch  with  the  best 
musical  circles  in  London.5 

It  was  Milton's  sincere  conviction  that  music  should 
form  an  important  part  in  any  scheme  of  education.     He 

1  Milton  speaks  of  Doni  in  a  letter  to  Holstenius,  March  30,  1639, 
P.  W.  3.  499.  Athanasius  Kircher,  another  favorite  of  Cardinal 
Barberini,  was  also  in  Rome  at  this  time,  and  associated  with  Doni. 
His  Musurgia  Universalis,  published  in  1650,  contains  some  strikingly 
Miltonic  ideas.  Milton  may  well  have  seen  parts  of  the  work  in 
manuscript. 

2  Philips,  Life,  p.  361. 

3  Cf.  the  laudatory  sonnet,  published,  1648,  in  a  volume  dedicated 
to  the  captive  king. 

*  Brief  Lives  2.  64. 

5  Godwin  emphasizes  the  musical  ability  of  both  brothers.  Cf. 
Lives  of  Edward  and  John  Philips,  pp.  150,  327. 


24  Milton  s  Knowledge  of  Music 

wrote  in  his  Tractate  of  Education,  in  1644,  that  in  the 
ideal  academy  of  learning,  the  intervals  "  before  meat  " 
should  be  taken  up  with  "  the  solemn  and  divine  har- 
monies of  music,  heard  or  learned,  either  whilst  the  skilful 
organist  plies  his  grave  and  fancied  descant  in  lofty 
fugues,  or  the  whole  symphony  with  artful  and  un- 
imaginable touches  adorn  and  grace  the  well-studied 
chords  of  some  choice  composer  ;  sometimes  the  lute  or 
soft  organ-stop  waiting  on  elegant  voices,  either  to  reli- 
gious, martial,  or  civil  ditties,  which,  if  wise  men  and 
prophets  be  not  extremely  out,  have  a  great  power  over 
dispositions  and  manners,  to  smooth  and  make  them 
gentle  from  rustic  harshness  and  distempered  passions. 
The  like  also  would  not  be  inexpedient  after  meat,  to 
assist  and  cherish  nature  in  her  first  concoction,  and  send 
their  minds  back  to  study  in  good  tune  and  satisfaction."  a 

But  Milton's  own  mind  can  scarcely  have  been  "  in  good 
tune  "  at  this  time.  His  marriage  with  Mary  Powell  in 
1643  had  proved  unhappy.  His  soul  failed  to  find  the 
"  harmony  "  which  it  demanded,  and  while  it  is  possible 
that  no  violent  discords  arose,  yet  Milton's  married  life 
was  anything  but  an  "  undisturbed  song  of  pure  concent." 
In  the  midst  of  the  doubts  brought  upon  him  by  the  deser- 
tion of  his  wife,  he  began  to  write  those  pamphlets  on  the 
divorce  question  which  raised  a  discordant  uproar 
throughout  all  England.2 

But  even  though  the  poet  failed  to  discover  the  ideal 
harmony  which  he  sought,  the  actual  harmonies  of  music 
must  have  continued  to  remain  a  comfort  and  a  pleasure 
to  him.  He  still  had  his  pupils,  his  songs,  and  his  organ. 
There  is  a  passage  in  the  Areopagitica  (1644)  showing  how 

1  P.   W.  3.  476.     See  Appendix  I,  p.  111. 

*  The  Doctrine  and  Discipline  of  Divorce,  1643  ;  The  Judgement 
of  Martin  Bucer  concerning  Divorce,  1644  ;  Tetrachordon,  1644-5  ; 
Colasterion,  1645.     Cf.  also  Sonnets  11  and  12,  1645. 


The  Life  of  Milton  as  a  Musician  25 

his  mind  turned  most  naturally  to  music  as  analogous  to 
literature,  when  he  speaks  contemptuously  of  licensing 
musical  instruments  in  the  same  manner  in  which  books 
are  to  be  licensed.1 

With  the  return  of  his  wife  and  the  removal  to  Barbican 
(1645)  a  more  peaceful  period  began.  The  town  house 
of  the  Earl  of  Bridge  water  was  near  by,  and  possibly 
Milton  renewed  his  acquaintance  with  the  Lady  Alice 
and  Mr.  Thomas  Egerton,  who  had  taken  part  in  the 
Comus  more  than  ten  years  before.  Harry  Lawes  was 
still  intimate  with  both  the  Egerton  and  the  Milton 
families,  and  his  visits  to  Barbican  must  have  been  fre- 
quent. It  was  at  this  time  (Feb.  9,  1645—6)  that  Milton 
wrote  his  extravagant  sonnet  in  praise  of  Lawes.2  Early 
in  the  same  year  the  first  edition  of  his  poems  was  publish- 
ed.3 The  title-page  reads,  "  Poems  of  Mr.  John  Milton, 
both  English  and  Latin,  compos'd  at  several  times  .  .  . 
The  Songs  were  set  in  musick  by  Mr.  Henry  Lawes."  From 
this  Masson  argues  that  Lawes  set  music  to  other  works 
of  Milton  besides  the  Arcades  and  Comus.4  It  is  thus 
evident  that  there  was  no  break  in  the  friendship  between 
the  musician  and  the  poet,  and  the  intimacy  probably 
continued  until  Lawes'  death  in  1662. 

From  this  time  on  to  the  end  of  Milton's  life,  the 
record  of  his  musical  interests  must  be  gathered  almost 
entirely  from  the  allusions  in  his  works.  Of  actual  facts 
few  are  recorded.  His  father,  the  aged  musician-scrivener, 
died  in  1647.  Five  years  later,  Milton's  eyes,  long  tried 
by  excessive  study  and  the  demands  of  public  work,  failed 
completely.  Is  it  not  likely  that  with  the  beginning  of 
Milton's  blindness  his  sense  for  sound  increased  ?  Nature 
is  commonly  credited  with  atoning  in  some  degree  for 
the  afflictions  visited  upon  men.     Certainly  in  his  later 

1  P.  W.  2.  73.     See  Appendix  I,  p.  112.       2  See  above,  p.  20. 
8  Jan.  2,  1645-6.  *  Masson,  Life  3.  464. 


26  Milton's  Knowledge  of  Music 

poetical  work^  Milton  shows  a  decided  preference  for  the 
description  ol  audible  impressions,  a  love  of  the  sounds 
in  Nature  rather  than  its  visible  beauties,  a  sensitiveness 
of  hearing  rather  than  of  sight.1  This  peculiar  delight 
in  sounds  had,  it  is  true,  been  characteristic  of  Milton 
all  through  his  life,  yet  there  can  be  no  doubt  that  it  in- 
creased perceptibly  and  found  a  more  decided  expression 
in  his  writings  after  his  blindness  came  upon  him.2 

The  lines  of  Paradise  Lost  are  full  of  musical  reminisc- 
ences. Echoes  of  madrigals  and  anthems  heard  long 
ago  resound  in  the  song  of  the  angel  choirs.  Real  figures 
of  the  past,  Leonora  singing  at  Rome,  Frescobaldi  playing 
the  organ,  are  reflected  again  in  visionary,  supernatural 
forms.  All  the  musical  elements  of  the  pagan  cosmology 
are  refashioned  into  his  Christian  idea  of  heaven,  where 
celestial  melodies,  arising  from  the  very  motion  of  the 
spheres,  resound  unceasingly.  The  poet's  unquenchable 
desire  for  harmony  is  the  dominant  motive.  It  is  a 
longing  which  in  his  earthly  experience  has  never  been 
satisfied,  a  fixed  idea  which  has  possessed  him  throughout 
his  life.  In  the  face  of  the  constant  changes  of  his  con- 
dition, of  the  jangle  and  discord  of  strife  and  quarrel  ever 
grating  upon  his  delicate  sensibilities,  this  one  purpose 
has  remained  fixed.3  He  has  failed  to  discover  a  reli- 
gious, a  political,  or  even  a  domestic  harmony  which 
could  satisfy  his  soul.  But  from  his  actual  experience, 
his  knowledge  of  natural  laws,  he  builds  up  a  strong  faith 

1  Cf.  especially  the  opening  of  the  Third  Book  of  Paradise  Lost, 
quoted  in  part  below,  Appendix  I,  pp.   114-115. 

2  Richardson  tells  an  interesting  story  illustrating  Milton's  sub- 
stitution of  hearing  for  sight.     "  Milton,  hearing  a  lady  sing  finely, 

Now  will  I  swear,'  says  he,  '  this  lady  is  handsome.'     His  ears  now 
were  eyes  to  him."     Richardson,  p.  vi. 

3  "  Many  of  his  choicest  years  of  life  were  employed  in  wrangling, 
and  receiving  and  racquetting  back  reproach,  accusation,  and 
Baroasm  .  .  .    Only  Musick  he  enjoyed."— Richardson,  pp.  cii,  ciii. 


The  Life  of  Milton  as  a  Musician  27 

in  a  complete  spiritual  harmony  which  rr  <ist  exist  for 
him  somewhere  in  the  future,  and  which  it  present  can 
be  but  a  mystical  ideal. 

Of  the  last  years  of  the  poet's  life  few  details  are  known. 
His  third  wife,  Elizabeth  Minshull,  who  was  with  him 
up  to  the  time  of  his  death,  is  described  by  Aubrey  as 
"  a  gent,  person,  a  peaceful  and  agreeable  humor."  1 
There  is  a  tradition  that  she  could  sing,  and  that  Milton 
told  her  playfully  that  she  had  a  good  voice  but  no  ear.2 
Aubrey  tells  us  that  "  he  had  an  organ  in  his  house  ;  he 
played  on  that  most."3  Probably  it  had  been  the  property 
of  his  father  before  him.  The  little  gatherings  of  musical 
friends  evidently  still  continued.  Such  a  one  is  indicated 
in  the  sonnet  To  Mr.  Lawrence  (1656-60)  in  which  the 
chief  of  the  pleasures  described  is 

To  hear  the  lute  well  touched,  or  artful  voice 
Warble  immortal  notes  and  Tuscan  air.4 

When  his  final  illness  set  in,  it  was  by  his  music  that 
he  supported  his  spirits.  "  He  would  be  cheerful  even 
in  his  gout  fits,  and  sing,"  5  not  the  psalms  or  the  doleful 
chants  of  a  dying  man,  I  take  it,  but  the  fresh,  undismayed 
songs  of  one  in  whose  soul  the  spirit  of  harmony  was  as 
strong  as  ever. 

1  Brief  Lives  2.  65.  2  Masson,  Life  6.  477. 

3  Brief  Lives  2.  67.  Cf.  also  Richardson,  p.  v.,  and  Toland,  Life 
138  ;  139. 

4  S.  20.  11-12.  5  Aubrey,  Brief  Lives  2.  67. 


Ill 

MILTON  AND  THE  ART  OF  MUSIC 

That  Milton  possessed  a  thorough  knowledge  of  the 
art  of  music  is  affirmed  by  all  his  biographers.  His  works, 
moreover,  are  full  of  technical  allusions  whose  significance 
cannot  be  overlooked.  A  study  of  these  sources  of  in- 
formation shows  him  to  have  been  an  active  musician 
both  in  practice  and  in  theory — playing  and  singing  him- 
self, listening  to  concerts,  taking  a  lively  interest  in  the 
instruments,  the  performances,  and  the  compositions  of 
his  day,  instructing  his  pupils  in  music,  possibly  even  ex- 
perimenting at  times  with  compositions  of  his  own.1  The 
depth  of  his  musical  culture  and  the  extent  of  his  ex- 
perience in  the  art  at  once  suggest  certain  definite  and 
interesting  inquiries.  What  was  the  measure  of  his  abil- 
ities ?  What  were  his  tastes  ?  Were  his  sympathies 
with  the  music  of  his  own  time,  or  with  that  of  the  past  ? 
In  what  way  did  his  mental  life  in  general  affect  his 
attitude  towards  so  definite  and  concrete  a  subject  ? 

As  to  the  poet's  musical  ability,  it  is  easy  to  judge. 
He  had,  first  and  foremost,  a  thorough  knowledge  of  the 
organ.  It  was,  according  to  all  biographers,  his  favorite 
instrument,  a  preference  easily  inferred  from  his  frequent 
allusions  to  the  organ,  both  in  his  poetry  and  in  his 
prose.  He  not  only  discusses  it  with  intimate  knowledge, 
but  treats  it  with  evident  personal  affection  as  well.  It 
is  the  only  musical  instrument  mentioned  in  his  Common- 

1  Cf.  Aubrey,  Brief  Lives  2.  64  ;  67  ;  Richardson,  p.  ii  ;  v  ;  ciii  ; 
Toland,  Life,  p.  138  ;  Todd,  Life,  pp.  148,  149  ;  P.  W.  1.  255  ;  and 
see  above,  pp.   14r  16,  18,  21,  22,  23. 


Milton  and  the  Art  of  Music  29 

place  Book.1  He  shows  an  interest  not  only  in  the  sounds, 
but  in  the  structure  of  the  instrument.  At  one  time  he 
tells  us  how 

in  an  organ,  from  one  blast  of  wind, 
To  many  a  row  of  pipes  the  sound-board  breathes.2 

The  statement  is  accurate,  but  by  no  means  obvious  to 
one  who  is  not  a  musician.8  At  other  times  he  is  careful 
to  dwell  upon  the  blowing  of  the  organ — to  speak  of  it  as 
a  wind-instrument*  When,  in  his  Second  Defence  of  the 
People  of  England,  Milton  declares  that  he  "  can  hardly 
refrain  from  assuming  a  more  lofty  and  swelling  tone,"  5 
the  expression  inevitably  suggests  the  poet  sitting  at  his 
organ,  improvising  in  simple,  harmonious  measures,  but 
now  and  then  tempted  to  draw  out  a  stop,  and  thunder 
his  indignation  fortissimo. 

Naturally  he  idealizes  his  favorite  instrument.  To  him 
it  is  the  most  fitting  expression  of  the  sublime  in  Nature. 
When  the  spheres  add  their  music  to  that  of  the  angel 
choirs  in  praise  of  the  birth  of  the  Savior,  "  the  bass  of 
Heaven's  deep  organ  "  is  the  foundation  of  the  universal 
harmony.6  On  the  day  of  rest,  "  not  in  silence  holy 
kept,"  the  music  of  Heaven  includes  "  all  organs  of  sweet 

1  Under  the  heading  De  Musica  the  following  item  is  included  : 
"  Organa  primum  in  Gallia,  Les  Ambassadeurs  de  Constantin  em- 
perour  Grec  apporterent  a  roy  Pepin  des  Orgues,  qu'on  n'avoit  pas 
encore  veues  en  France.'  — Girard,  Hist.  France  1.  3,  p.  138."  (C.  F. 
A.  Williams,  Story  of  the  Organ,  pp.  27-28,  states  that  "  the  emperor 
Copronymus  VI  of  Constantinople  sent  an  organ  as  a  present  to 
Pepin,  the  father  of  Charlemagne,  in  A.  D.  757,  which  was  placed 
in  the  church  of  St.  Comeille  at  Campiagne,  there  being  no  organs  in 
France  at  the  time.") 

2  P.  L.  1.  708-709. 

8  See  the  explanation  in  Keightley,  Life,  p.  433,  and  the  diagram 
in  C.  F.  A.  Williams,  Story  of  the  Organ,  p.  21.  Cf.  also  Kircher, 
Mus.  Univ.  6.  3. 

*  II  P.  161  ;  H.  130.  5  P.   W.  1.  219.  ■  H.  130. 


30  Milton  s  Knowledge  of  Music 

stop."  1     Adam's  vision  of  the  music  of  the  sons  of  Jubal 
has  for  its  central  figure  an  organist  whose 

volant   touch 
Instinct  through  all  proportions  low  and  high 
Fled  and  pursued  transverse  the  resonant  fugue.2 

In  his  theory  of  education  Milton  lays  great  stress 
upon  music,  and  it  is  the  organ  accompanying  the  voice 
which  is  to  exercise  its  "  power  over  dispositions  and 
manners,  to  smooth  and  make  them  gentle  from  rustic 
harshness  and  distempered  passions."  3  Only  once  does 
Milton  speak  slightingly  of  the  organ.  In  this  single 
instance,  however,4  he  attacks  the  misuse  of  the  organ  in 
the  Chapel  Royal,  rather  than  the  organ  itself.  Even 
though  he  may  have  appreciated  the  technical  skill 
required  for  "  the  masterful  running  over  many  chords 
and  divisions,"  5  he  was  not  in  sympathy  with  the  florid 
and  frivolous  compositions  which  the  King's  musicians 
dignified  with  the  name  of  "sacred  music."6  In  any 
case,  as  Milton  is  writing  here  for  his  party  rather  than  for 
himself,  and  in  the  approved  polemic  style  of  the  time, 
he  may  well  be  attacking  publicly  that  which  his  private 
judgment  might  have  excused. 

The  organ,  then,  must  be  considered  Milton's  own  in- 
strument, the  one  which  he  knew  best  and  loved  most, 
the  one  which  earliest  gave  him  his  introduction  to  the 

1  P.  L.  7.  596.  The  reference  may,  however,  apply  merely  to 
wind  instruments  in  general.     See  Glossary. 

2  P.  L.  11.  561-563.  The  organist  here  is  an  elaboration  of  the 
hint  contained  in  Gen.  4.  21.    See  below,   Appendix  I,   p.  121. 

9  Tractate  on  Education,  P.  W.  3.  476.  See  below,  Appendix  I, 
pp.  111-112. 

4  EikonoWastes,  P.   W.  1.  461. 

6  P.    W.  3.  62. 

6  Cf.  the  "difficult  passages"  cited  by  Burney  3.  115-117  ; 
and  cf.  Hawkins  3.  461-464. 


Milton  and  the  Art  of  Musk  31 

mysteries  of  the  art,1  and  satisfied  his  latest  desires  for 
the  music  of  this  earth,2  the  one  which  permitted  the 
closest  technical  study  and  demanded  the  most  sublime 
idealization.  No  other  instrument  is  so  important  as 
the  organ  in  a  consideration  of  Milton's  interest  in  music. 

Some  of  his  biographers  record  that  he  played  the  bass 
viol.3  There  is  no  reason  to  doubt  the  statement,  for  the 
ability  to  perform  on  some  stringed  instrument  was  al- 
most indispensable  to  the  training  of  a  gentleman.  But 
Milton  could  never  have  loved  the  ponderous  and  dull- 
toned  bass  viol  as  he  did  the  versatile,  endlessly  complex 
organ.4  In  his  works  there  are  but  two  passing  references 
to  viols  in  general,6  a  fact  which,  in  itself,  makes  any 
personal  liking  for  the  instrument  extremely  doubtful. 

The  lute,  the  most  popular  instrument  of  Milton's  day, 
seems  to  have  lent  itself  only  to  a  conventional  use  by  the 
poet.  He  recognizes  its  value  as  an  instrument  of  ac- 
companiment to  the  voice,  and  mentions  it  in  no  other 
connection.  He  admires  the  softness  and  delicacy  of  its 
sound.6  When  the  famous  singer,  Leonora  Baroni,  was 
accompanied  by  her  mother,  Ariana,  on  the  lute,  he  was 
enchanted  with  the  effect.7  His  musical  friend,  Harry 
Lawes,  was  a  skilled  lutenist.  In  his  later  years,  when 
the  poet  attended  such  congenial  gatherings  as  he  de- 
scribes in  his  sonnet  To  Mr.  Lawrence,  one  of  his  chief 
pleasures  was  "  to  hear  the  lute  well-touched."  8     The 

1  Cf.  Aubrey,  Brief  Lives  2.  67. 

2  Cf.  Richardson,  p.  v.,  and  Toland,  Life,  p.  138. 

3  Richardson,  p.  v  ;  Todd,  Life,  p.  149 ;  Earliest  Life,  p.  21. 

4  Of  course  the  bass  viol  of  Milton's  day  must  not  be  confused 
with  the  modern  instrument.  See  Glossary,  and  Kircher,  Mus. 
Univ.  6.  1. 

6  P.  28  ;  P.   W.  2.  73. 

•  P.  28  ;  P.   W.  3.  476. 

7  Ad  Leonoram  2.  6. 

8  S.  20.  11.     Cf.  also  P.  L.  5.  151  :  C.  478  ;  P.   W.  2.  73. 


32  Milton's  Knowledge  of  Music 

poet's  interest  in  the  lute  was  real  in  one  way  at  least. 
It  evidently  was  to  him  the  contemporary  representative 
of  the  ancient  lyre.  Here  the  classic  spirit  of  the  poet 
again  asserts  itself.  The  lute  was  less  interesting  to  Mil- 
ton as  the  favorite  instrument  of  polite  society  than 
when  he  saw  in  it  the  descendant  and  true  copy  of  the 
primitive  combination  of  thongs  and  tortoise-shell  to 
which  immortal  strains  were  sung.  Reproducing  those 
ancient  sounds  as  closely  as  possible,  the  lute  acquired  a 
new  significance.  The  poet  evidently  considered  the 
terms  "  lyre  "  and  "  lute  "  as  almost  synonymous.  He 
speaks  calmly  of  "  Apollo's  lute,"  when  addressing 
Englishmen  in  English  surroundings,1  and  conversely, 
when  writing  Latin  epigrams  to  Leonora,  her  mother's 
lute  becomes  a  "  lyra."2 

The  classic  influences  suggested  by  Milton's  use  of  the 
lute  are  evident  in  his  treatment  of  other  instruments  also. 
He  alludes  often  to  the  lyre,  for  it  is  the  conventional 
stringed  instrument  of  pagan  mythology,  and  it  is  only 
natural  that  these  allusions  should  occur  in  the  Latin 
poems.3  Here  he  uses  not  only  the  general  term  lyra* 
which  could  be  applied  to  any  member  of  the  family,  but 
the  technical  names  of  particular  kinds  of  lyres  as  well. 
Some  of  these  names  he  may  have  taken  directly  from 
classic  poetry,  almost  as  if  they  were  formulas  to  fit  cer- 
tain situations.  At  times  we  are  tempted  to  believe  that 
the  metre  of  the  line  determined  the  name  of  the  in- 
strument. Yet  it  would  be  unfair  to  say  that  these 
classic  names  were  meaningless  to  him,  that  they  were 

1  C.  478. 

2  Ad  Leonoram  2.  6. 

8  The  only  mention  of  the  lyre  in  the  English  works  is  a  con- 
ventional reference  to  the  "  Orphean  lyre,"   P.  L.  3.  17. 

4  Epit.  218  ;  Ad  Leonoram  2.  6.  Cf.  the  description  in  Kircher, 
Mus.   Univ.  2.  6. 


Milton  and  the  Art  of  Music  33 

mere  words,  fit  only  to  give  a  pleasant  sound  to  a  line.  Even 
though  he  could  not  have  been  familiar  with  the  actual 
sounds  of  the  various  ancient  lyres,  he  must  have  had 
some  conception  of  their  quality  through  his  knowledge 
of  the  stringed  instruments  of  his  own  day,  and  he  must 
have  been  aware  of  differences  in  structure  from  his 
reading  of  ancient  authors.  So,  when  he  makes  the 
cithara  the  instrument  of  Apollo,1  or  applies  it  to  a  pagan 
conception  of  the  celestial  music,2  he  does  so  in  the  full 
consciousness  that  he  is  speaking  of  the  largest  and  most 
highly  developed  member  of  the  lyre  family.3  When  the 
playing  of  Orpheus,  however,  is  mentioned,4  his  instru- 
ment is  the  barbitos — a  lyre  of  long  and  narrow  shape 
having  many  strings.5  The  chelys,  a  small,  primitive 
lyre,  dominates  a  most  charming  picture  of  a  festal  dance, 
at  an  English  country-house  in  contemporary  setting, 
but  in  the  classic  spirit.6  Here  the  daintiness  of  the  in- 
strument, the  rhythmic  strokes  of  the  plectrum,  and  the 
swift  movements  of  the  dancing  maidens,  all  appeal 
equally  to  his  poetic  fancy.7  In  a  very  different  spirit 
he  refers  to  the  pecten,8  as  the  conventional  accompan- 
iment of  a  bard's  chanting. 

1  Ad  Mansum  63.  2  Ad  Patrem  54. 

3  The  expression  "  citharaeque  sciens,"  Epit.  89,  is,  as  Todd 
notes,  a  mere  echo  of  Horace,  Od.  3.  9.  9.     Cf.  also  Virg.  Aen.  6.  120. 

4  E.  6.  37.     See  also  Ad  Rousium  9. 

5  Cf.  Horace,  Od.  1.  32.  3  ;    3.   26.   3  ;    Martianus   Capella,     De 
|  Nupt.  Phil.  1.  36. 

•  E.  6.  38-46. 

7  For  classic  uses  of  the  chelys  cf.  Martianus  Capella,  De  Nupt. 
Phil.  1.  36  ;  Pompon.  Apud  Terentian.  de  Metr.  2137.  Kircher^ 
Mus.  Univ.  2.  4.  1,  calls  the  chelys  that  instrument  "  quam  vulgo 
viola  gamba  vocant,"  a  definition  which  would  have  little  signi- 
ficance in  the  present  instance. 

8  Ad  Rousium  10.  The  pecten  is  literally  the  plectrum,  but 
used  by  synechdoche  for  the  lyre  itself.  Cf.  Ovid,  Fast.  2.  121  : 
"  Dum  canimus  sacras  alterno  pectine  nonas." 


34  Milton's  Knowledge  of  Music 

Milton's  use  of  these  classic  names,  therefore,  is  by  no 
means  blind  or  meaningless.  While  it  is  impossible,  in 
most  cases,  to  interpret  his  conception  accurately,  it  is 
evident  enough  that  he  did  possess  a  clear  conception 
of  each.  Milton  was  too  sincere  to  assume  distinctions 
which  were  not  real. 

The  function  of  the  lyre  in  the  Latin  poems  is  supplied 
by  the  harp  in  the  English  works.  Here  again  the  poet 
treats  of  an  instrument  the  art  of  playing  which  may  be 
quite  unknown  to  him,  but  of  whose  quality  of  sound  he 
has,  nevertheless,  a  distinct  conception.  Just  as  the  lyre 
is  the  instrument  of  Apollo,  of  Orpheus,  and  of  departed 
spirits,  so  the  harp  is  the  instrument  of  the  celestial 
choirs.1  Like  the  lute  and  the  lyre,  it  is  used  merely 
to  accompany  the  voice.  But  whereas  Milton's  treatment 
of  the  lute  and  the  lyre  is  affected  by  classical  influences, 
his  conception  of  the  harp  is  derived  from  Scripture. 
This  is  quite  in  accord  with  the  habits  of  the  poet.  As 
most  of  his  English  poetry  employs  a  Christian  setting, 
we  should  expect  to  find  his  musical  references  taken  from 
Christian  sources.  Thus  the  harp  figures  largely  in 
Milton's  descriptions  of  Heaven.     Even  the  fallen  angels 

sing 
With  notes  angelical  to  many  a  harp 
Their  own  heroic  deeds.2 

The  nature  of  the  celestial  music  is  elaborately  set  forth 
in  the  account  of  the  creation :  each  day  is  begun  with 
the  sound  of  harps  and  of  celestial  voices  joined  in  songs 
of  adoration.3     At  the  birth  of  the  Savior 

1  A  reference  to  the  "  harp  of  Orpheus,"  P.  W.  3.  467,  seems  to 
show  that  the  terms  lyre  and  harp  are  synonymous  to  Milton.  Cf. 
P.  L.  7.  36-37.  The  "  harp  and  organ  "  of  Genesis  4.  21  are  in  the 
Vulgate  "  cithara  et  organo." 

2  P.  L.  2.  547-549. 

8  P.  L.  7.  258-259  ;  449-450  ;  558-560  ;  594-595.  Cf.  also  P.  L.  3. 
365-369. 


Milton  and  the  Art  of  Music  35 

The  helmed  Cherubim 

And  sworded  Seraphim 

Are  seen  in  glittering  ranks  with  wings  displayed, 

Harping  in  loud  and  solemn  quire.1 

When  the  harp  is  described  as  a  part  of  the  music  of 
mortals,  it  is,  as  a  rule,  the  conventional  intrument  of  the 
bard,  again  resembling,  in  this  respect,  the  lyre  of  classic 
poetry.2  Milton  "  sets  "  his  harp  "  to  notes  of  saddest 
woe  "  when  preparing  to  write  of  the  Passion.3  When 
glorifying  the  Son  of  God  in  triumphant  measures,  he 
adds,  "and  never  shall  my  harp  thy  praise  forget."4  In 
the  orisons  of  Adam  and  Eve  the  suggestion  of  a  possible 
accompaniment  of  "  lute  or  harp  "  is  rejected  without 
hesitation.5    The  "  harp  and  organ  "  of  the  sons  of  Jubal 

1  is,  of  course,  taken  directly  from  Gen.  4.  21. 6  When  the 
tempted  Christ  refers  with  pride  to  "  our  Hebrew  songs 
and  harps,"  7  he  is  using  a  mere  conventional  formula 
for  sacred  poetry. 

Milton's  use  of  the  harp,  therefore,  is  to  a  great  extent 

'  figurative,  and  the  large  number  of  allusions  occurring 
throughout  his  works  is  not  indicative  of  a  real  preference. 
Strictly  speaking,  the  element  of  personal  affection  enters 

1  alone  into  Milton's  treatment  of  the  organ.     In  the  case 
of  practically  all  other  instruments  his  language  suggests 
conventionality,  sometimes  even  direct  imitation. 
The  trumpet  occurs  even  more  often  than  the  harp — 

i  eighteen  times  in  the  English  poems,  nine  times  in  the 
prose,  with  several  additional  references  in  the  Latin 
Poems.8     It  is,  of  course,  likewise  a  conventional  instru- 


1  H.  112  ff.     Cf.  S.  M.  12-13  ;  and  P.   W.  2.  479. 

2  There  is  also,  naturally,  a  certain  dependence  on  Scriptural 
usage.  Cf.  the  description  of  Hebrew  harps  in  Kircher,  Mus. 
Univ.  2.  4.   1. 

8  P.  9.       *  P.  L.  3.  414-415.        6  P.  L.  5.  151.         •  P.  L.  11.  560. 
7  P.  R.  4.  336.  8  See  references  in  the  Glossary. 

c2 


36  Milton  s  Knowledge  of  Music 

ment  of  the  Bible,1  and  Milton  adapts  it  without  hesi- 
tation to  the  music  of  his  celestial  choirs.2  But  there  is 
one  distinct  feature  in  Milton's  use  of  the  trumpet  which 
is  not  only  Biblical  but  classical  as  well  :  he  treats  the 
instrument,  not  as  a  part  of  a  mixed  band  or  orchestra, 
but  as  a  signal,  a  sound  of  acclaim,  or  a  mere  noise.  This 
is  precisely  the  part  played  by  the  trumpet  in  the  Greek 
music.  Strictly  speaking,  it  had  no  place  whatever  in  the 
real  instrumental  music,  which  consisted  entirely  of  flutes 
and  strings.  It  merely  gave  the  signal  or  the  inspiration 
for  battle,  and,  as  such,  its  sound  excited  on  the  one  hand 
terror,  and,  on  the  other,  ferocity  rather  than  pleasure. 
But  in  Milton's  own  time  the  trumpet  had  become,  to 
some  extent,  an  instrument  of  harmony  in  a  band.3  It 
is  worth  noting,  therefore,  that  Milton  remains  faithful  to 
classical  tradition  in  the  face  of  contemporary  usage. 

He  is  fond  of  alluding  to  the  "  trump  of  doom,"  to  the 
warning  of  its  sound,  to  its  loudness  and  its  terrible 
effect.4  At  times,  however,  it  is  the  instrument  of  joy 
and  of  acclamation,  as  when  the 

bright  Seraphim  in  burning  row 
Their  loud  uplifted  angel-trumpets  blow.6 

1  Cf.  I.  Chronicles  13.  8  ;  15.  24  ;  II.  Chronicles  5.  12  ;  29.  27  ; 
Ps.  81.  3  ;  98.  6  ;  Numbers  10  ;  29  ;  Joshua  6.  4  ;  Judges  7.  16  ; 
Levit.  23.24  ;  Ezek  7.  14  ;  33.  3  ;  Joel  2.  1  ;  Rev.  8  ;  9.  11.  Cf. 
the  descriptions  of  trumpets,  flutes,  etc.,  in  Kircher,  Mils.  Univ.  2. 

4.  3  ;  6.  2.  2. 

2  P.  L.   1.  754  ;  2.  514-515  ;  6.  59-60  ;  203-204  ;  526  ;  11.  72-74 ; 

5.  M.   10-11. 

8  Cf.  Whitelocke,  Memorials,  London,  1732,  p.  20,  and  the  stage 
directions  for  music  in  old  plays.  Henry  VIII' s  band  contained 
fourteen  trumpets  and  ten  trombones.  Queen  Elizabeth  used  ten 
trumpets  and  six  trombones  in  the  court  orchestra.  Monte verde 
arranged  his  orchestration  for  eight  trumpets.  Grove's  Diet.  s.  v. 
trumpet  ;   Eichhorn,   Die  Trompete  in  alter  und  neuer  Zeit,  passim. 

4  Cf.  H.  156  ;  P.  L.  1.  532  ;  754  ;  6.  59-60  ;  P.  R.  1.  19  ;  P.  W.  2. 
474  ;  3.  70.  6  S.  M.   10-11. 


Milton  and  the  Art  of  Music  37 

But  there  is  no  hint,  even  here,  of  any  harmony  other 
than  a  strict  unison.  Lastly,  the  trumpet  often  repre- 
sents to  Milton  mere  noise.  In  one  instance,  at  least, 
he  seems  to  treat  it  with  contempt.1 

But  the  most  striking  classical  influences  on  Milton's 
use  of  instrumental  music  appear  in  his  love  of  the 
pastoral  pipe  and  reed.  Here  at  times  he  actually  speaks, 
as  it  were,  in  the  person  of  an  ancient  pastoral  poet. 
Not  only  does  he  picture  himself  as  a  shepherd  in Lycidas 
and  the  Epitaphium  Damonis,  but  others  of  his  works, 
particularly  the  Arcades  and  the  Comus,  are  full  of  pastor- 
al elements  ;  thus  he  seems  to  have  preferred  the  pipe  and 
the  reed  to  other  conventional  instruments  such  as  the 
syrinx  or  the  lyre.  Moreover,  the  sounds  of  these  instru- 
ments of  antiquity  he  realized  through  the  flutes  and  the 
organ-pipes  of  his  own  time.  We  may  therefore  believe 
that  in  his  allusions  to  the  pipe  and  reed  Milton  is  not 
simply  following  the  time-honored  conventions  of  pastoral 
poetry.  This  is  only  partly  true.  For  his  ear  is  so  sensi- 
tive, and  his  love  of  music  so  constant  that  even  these  con- 
ventional instruments  suggest  to  his  imagination  distinct 
tone  and  quality. 

1  P.  W.  1.  232.  He  first  quotes  the  author  of  The  Royal  Blood 
crying  to  Heaven  for  vengeance  on  the  English  Parricides  to  the  effect 
that  "  after  this  proaemium,  Salraasius  will  make  the  trumpet 
blow  a  deadly  blast."  Milton's  bitterly  satirical  comment  is  as 
follows  :  "  You  announce  a  new  kind  of  harmony,  for  to  the  terrors 
of  that  loud-sounding  instrument  no  symphony  bears  so  close  a 
resemblance  as  that  which  is  produced  by  accumulated  flatulency. 
But  I  advise  Salmasius  not  to  raise  the  notes  of  this  trumpet  to  too 
high  a  pitch,  for,  the  louder  the  tones,  the  more  he  will  expose 
himself  to  a  slap  on  the  chops  ;  which,  while  both  his  cheeks  ring, 
will  give  a  delightful  flow  to  his  well-proportioned  melodies."  These 
words,  however,  cannot  be  considered  indicative  of  Milton's  better 
convictions  or  taste.  They  are  merely  another  example  of  conven- 
tional polemic  style.  Cf.  P.W.  1.  461.  The  allusion  to  "  Cremona's 
trump,"   P.  26,  may  also  be  considered  as  contemptuous.      See  G. 


38  Milton's  Knowledge  of  Music 

In  speaking  of  the  pipe  he  dwells  upon  its  softness,  its 
smoothness,  its  solemnity  of  tone.1  At  times  he  finds  in 
it  the  expression  of  a  sportive  mood,  typical  of  rural 
merriment,2  but  on  the  whole  he  prefers  its  gentler,  quieter 
sounds.  As  he  pictures  himself  in  the  Christian  poems 
singing  to  the  harp,  so  in  his  pastorals  he  becomes  a 
piping  shepherd.3 

One  point  is  clearly  illustrated  by  Milton's  general 
attitude  toward  instrumental  music.  He  always  shows 
a  thorough  knowledge  of  the  quality  and  effect  of  tones 
with  which  he  deals.  Even  when  he  is  unable  to  play  an 
instrument,  or  has  never,  with  bodily  ear,  heard  its  actual 
sound,  he  gains  a  clear  conception  of  its  quality  either 
by  hearsay  or  by  applying  his  imagination  to  the  effects 
of  some  contemporary  instrument  of  a  similar  character  ; 
and  when  he  has  thus  acquired  a  distinct  conception, 
there  is  never  any  hesitation  or  inconsistency  in  his  treat- 
ment of  a  particular  instrument.  The  quality  of  its 
tone  in  his  mind  is  distinct  and  unchanging  ;  it  has  for 
him  a  fixed  and  definite  function ;  this  he  carefully  and 
distinctly  affirms.  Certain  instruments  fit  certain 
situations — produce  certain  effects.     They  cannot  be  in- 

1  C.  86-87  ;  P.  L.  1.  561  ;  7.  595. 

2  C.  173  ;  823  ;  II  P.  126. 

8  It  is  unnecessary  to  point  out  the  many  classical  echoes  in 
Milton's  allusions  to  the  pipe  and  reed.  They  may  be  found  in 
the  best  editions  of  his  works.  His  use  of  the  "  oat  ",  L.  33  ;  88  ; 
C.  345,  copies  the  avena  of  Virgil  and  Ovid,  Eel.  1.  2  ;  Met.  2.  677  ; 
8.  191.  The  cicuta  of  Epit.  Dam.  135  is  also  an  example  of  classic 
usage,  representing  the  flute,  pipe,  or  reed.  When  Milton  speaks  of 
"  vocal  reeds,"  in  "  smooth-sliding  Mincius,"  L.  86,  he  intends 
possibly  to  convey  a  suggestion  of  the  passing  wind  or  the  river 
itself  playing  upon  the  reeds.  It  may  be  also  that  he  calls  the  reeds 
"  vocal  "  as  being  potential  pipes.  Probably  he  had  something  of 
both  conceptions  in  his  mind.  Cf.  P.  R.  2.  26,  "  Where  winds  with 
reeds  and  oziers  whispering  play."  See  also  Lucretius,  De  Rerum 
Nat.  5.  1383  ff.,  and  Jerram's  note  on  L.  86. 


Milton  and  the  Art  of  Music  39 

discriminately  changed  about.  Our  modern  music  lovers 
might  well  derive  a  lesson  from  the  poet  in  this  matter. 
To  most  listeners,  nowadays,  quality  of  sound  seems 
a  matter  of  small  consequence.  There  are  many  compo- 
sitions which  one  may  seldom  hear  in  their  proper  setting. 
Orchestral  works  become  familiar  through  pianoforte 
arrangements  ;  compositions  for  the  violoncello  lose  their 
quality  when  transposed  for  the  violin  ;  songs  are  instru- 
mentalized,  or  set  in  half  a  dozen  different  keys  adapted 
to  every  pitch  and  quality  of  voice.  Few  of  us  seem  to 
have  retained  that  instinctive  feeling  for  the  permanence 
of  quality,  so  characteristic  of  the  older  musicians,  and  of 
such  discerning  music-lovers  as  John  Milton.  To  him 
no  variation  in  function  was  possible  without  an  accom- 
panying variation  of  quality.  If  an  instrument  can  pro- 
duce different  qualities  of  tone,  as  is  the  case  with  the  pipe 
family,  then  it  can  likewise  exercise  different  functions. 
If  its  quality  and  effect  are  constant,  then  its  function 
must  also  be  constant.  The  instruments  already  dis- 
cussed furnish  good  examples  of  Milton's  consistency  of 
treatment.  The  organ,  because  of  its  imitative  characteris- 
tics, stands  in  a  class  by  itself,  possessing  such  a  variety 
of  qualities  as  to  render  it  fit  for  almost  any  use — ex- 
pressive of  almost  any  emotion.  Yet  Milton  seems  to 
prefer  those  registers  which  are  peculiar  to  the  organ, 
such  as  the  diapasons,  and  to  emphasize  the  loftiness  of 
their  sounds.  The  instruments  of  the  pipe  family,  as  a 
rule,  give  forth  tones  of  a  gentle,  sad,  almost  mournful 
quality.  "  Flutes  and  soft  recorders "  are  especially 
effective  in  taming  wild  passions  and  producing  calmness 
and  nobility  of  mood.1  But  under  certain  conditions  the 
flute  or  pipe  may  inspire  riotous  merriment.  This, 
however,  occurs  only  amid  rustic  surroundings,  and  is 
not  to  be  considered  its  natural  mood. 2  Milton's  flutes 
1  P.  L.  1.  551.  2  C.  173. 


40  Milton  s  Knowledge  of  Music 


were  not  played  in  the  manner  of  the  modern  transverse 
instrument.  His  conception  is  always  that  of  the  classic 
oluIoc,  a  pipe  played  through  a  reed  mouthpiece,  and  re- 
sembling in  shape  and  style  of  execution  the  modern 
clarinet. 

Other  instruments  whose  quality  of  sound  is  soft  and 
soothing  are  the  lute  and  viol,  "  more  apt  for  mournful 
things."  * 

The  sounds  of  the  lyre  and  harp  possess  a  lofty  grandeur, 
befitting  the  characters  and  emotions  of  gods  and  angels.2 

The  trumpet  stands  for  a  loud  and  pervading  quality 
of  sound,  uttering  little  music,  but  useful  as  a  signal,  a 
noise  of  triumph,  of  acclamation  or  of  warning.  Its 
brazen  quality  is  expressed  in  such  phrases  as  "  the 
sounding  alchymy,"3  "  sonorous  metal,  blowing  martial 
sounds."  4  A  particularly  shrill  type  of  the  trumpet 
tone  is  produced  by  "  clarions."5 

The  drum  is  also  used  at  times  as  a  mere  signal.6  But 
instruments  of  percussion  in  general  bear  for  Milton  a  con- 
notation of  horror.  There  is  a  hint,  too,  of  the  barbaric 
in  their  use.  The  sacrifices  of  Moloch  are  accompanied 
with  the  "  noise  of  drums  and  timbrels."  7  His  priests  and 
those  of  Osiris  perform  their  dread  rites  with  "  cymbals' 
ring"8  and  "timbreled  anthems  dark."9      The  captive 

1  P.  28. 

2  Among  other  conventional  instruments  of  Heaven  Milton  men- 
tions the  dulcimer,  P.  L.  7.  596.  The  source  of  the  allusion  is 
evidently  Daniel  3.  5 ;  10  ;  15.  The  dulcimer  of  Milton's  time  was 
a  stringed  instrument,  played  with  little  hammers.  See  the  des- 
cription given  by  Pepys,  Diary,  May  13,  1662.  But  Milton  evid- 
ently has  in  mind  the  Hebrew  dulcimer,  which  was  a  wind-instru- 
ment similar  to  the  bag-pipe.  Certainly  this  definition  gives  a 
better  meaning  to  the  passage  cited  above.     See  G. 

3  P.  L.  2.  517.  *  P.  L.  1.  540. 

6  P.  L.  1.  532  ;  7.  443.  Cf.  the  classic  buccina,  E.  4.   117-118. 
•  P.  W.  2.  45.  7  P.  L.  1.  394.  8  H.  208.  9  H.  219. 


Milton  and  the  Art  of  Music  41 

Samson  is  led  in  triumph  before  his  barbaric  conquerors 
to  the  sound  of  "  pipes  and  timbrels."  1  Of  instruments 
of  percussion  Milton  also  mentions  cymbals  and  bells. 
For  cymbals  he  implies  nothing  but  contempt.  They  are 
mere  noisemakers.  In  Tetrachordon  he  says  :  "  If  we 
understand  not  this,  we  are  but  cracked  cymbals,  we  do 
but  tinkle,  we  know  nothing,  we  do  nothing."  2 

Bells  have  no  specific  musical  value  in  Milton,  yet  he 
evidently  delights  in  their  sound.  He  echoes  the  rhythmic 
rise  and  fall  of  their  measured  tones  when  he  says  : 

Oft,  on  a  plat  of  rising  ground, 
I  hear  the  far-off  curfew  sound, 
Over  some  wide-watered  shore, 
Swinging  slow  with  sullen  roar.3 

Contrast  with  this  description  the  lines  of  V Allegro. 
beginning  : 

When  the  merry  bells  ring  round.4 

There  is  here  more  suggestion  of  actual  music.  The  poet 
evidently  has  in  mind  the  chime  of  bells  in  a  country 
church. 

The  word  "  chime  "  represents  with  Milton  the  most 
musical  of  bell -like  sounds.  As  a  rule  it  cannot  be 
accurately  defined  as  anything  more  than  mere  harmony 
or  concord,  yet  at  times  there  seems  to  be  a  suggestion 
of  actual  vibrating  metal  in  his  conception.  Thus  the 
celestial  spheres  are  bidden  to  "  ring  out," 

1  S.  A.  1616-1617.  See  Kircher,  Mus.  Univ.  2.  4.  2,  for  a  descrip- 
tion of  the  Hebrew  instruments  of  percussion. 

2  P.  W.  3.  366,  an  obvious  echo  of  I.  Corinthians  13.  1.  Cf.  the 
contemptuous  reference  to  "  those  cymbal  doctors,"  in  Eikotw- 
klastes,  P.   W.  1.  376. 

3  11  P.  73-76. 

4  UA.  93  ff. 


42  Milton  s  Knowledge  of  Music 

And  let  your  silver  chime 
Move  in  melodious  time.1 

When  one  compares  the  "  sphery  chime  "  of  C.  1021,  and 
the  "  sphere-metal  "  of  U.  C.  2.  5,  one  is  tempted  to  be- 
lieve that  Milton  conceived  of  the  spheres  as  composed 
of  some  metallic  substance,  whose  vibration  gave  forth 
sound.2 

In  P.  R.  2.  363,  Milton  contrasts  "  chiming  strings  M 
with  "charming  pipes,"  thus  observing  the  difference 
between  striking  the  metal  wire  and  breathing  through 
a  hollow  tube.3  The  rustic  music  of  the  "  loose,  un- 
lettered hinds  "  4  is  represented  by  the  rebeck,  a  primi- 
tive style  of  fiddle,5  and  by  the  bag-pipe,  doubtless  in- 
tended as  a  caricature  of  the  sylvan  pipe  of  the  real 
pastoral.6  Milton  has  no  great  liking  for  such  primitive 
popular  music.  Yet  he  is  thoroughly  aware  of  its  charac- 
teristics, and,  even  in  his  amused  contempt,  is  never 
guilty  of  misrepresenting  it.  A  rebeck  or  a  bag-pipe 
would  be  entirely  out  of  place  in  the  hands  of  a  serious 
bard,  or  among  the  harmonies  of  heaven,  but  as  accom- 
paniment to  the  "  riot  and  ill-managed  merriment  "  7  of 
the  rustic  dance  they  possess  a  distinct  musical  value. 

This  appreciation  of  values,  then,  is  the  most  signif- 
icant feature  of  Milton's  treatment  of  instrumental 
music.  He  seems  to  recognize  instinctively  the  character 
of  the  instruments  to  which  he  alludes,  and  he  evidently 
considers  this  musical  character  as  important  as  is  per- 
sonality in  human  beings. 


1  H.  128-129. 

2  Cf.  Pliny,  Hist.  Nat.  2.  3. 

3  Cf.  the  "silver-sounding  instruments"  of  Spenser's  F.  Q.  2.  12. 
71,  by  which  the  entire  description  in  P.  R.  is  evidently  influenced. 

4  C.  174.  5  P.   W.  2.  73  ;  V A.  94.     See  G. 
6  P.   W.  2.  73.  7  C.  172. 


Milton  and  the  Art  of  Music  43 

Of  the  forms  of  instrumental  music  mentioned  by 
Milton  little  need  be  said.  There  were  few  titles  in  his 
time  possessing  any  very  definite  meaning,  as,  for  example, 
the  symphony  or  sonata  of  to-day.  When  the  instru- 
mental music  was  anything  more  than  mere  accompani- 
ment to  the  voice  (in  which  case  it  naturally  took  its 
name  from  the  vocal  form),  it  was  most  often  in  some 
variation  of  the  dance.  Milton  is  very  fond  of  the  figure 
of  the  dance,  and  almost  all  his  instrumental  music  which 
does  not  accompany  the  voice  is  dance-music.  But  his 
conception  of  the  dance  is  very  different  from  that  of  the 
present  day.  It  is  based  upon  classic  foundations,  for 
Greek  music  included  not  only  the  harmony  of  tones, 
but  poetry  and  the  dance  as  well.  All  three  possessed  the 
common  quality  of  rhythm,  which,  for  Milton,  is  of  the 
utmost  importance.  When  he  describes  the  angels  of 
Heaven  who 

in  celestial  measures  moved, 
Circling  the  throne  and  singing,  while  the  hand 
Sung  with  the  voice,1 

he  presents  this  triple  combination  complete. 

The  rhythm  of  such  a  dance  must  be  wholly  sublime, 
without  hint  of  anything  light  or  trivial.  Milton's  con- 
ception of  the  dance  is  really  threefold.  In  its  best  and 
highest  form  it  is  the  embodiment  of  grace  and  dignity, 
of  pure  motion  in  its  most  sublime  aspect,  a  mystic 
expression  of  the  rhythm  of  nature,  as  shown  in  the 
stars,  the  seasons,  the  months  and  years.  In  its  lower 
forms,  among  human  beings  and  the  lesser  deities,  it 
still  retains  grace  and  beauty,  but  its  spirit  is  purely 
one  of  joy,  without  dignity  or  sublimity.  Finally, 
when  induced  by  intemperance  and  base  passions,  it 
loses  even  its  grace  and  beauty,    and  becomes  a  mere 

1  P.  R.  1.  170  ff. 


44  Milton  s  Knowledge  of  Music 

wanton  expression  of  sensuality.  ■  Milton  takes  a  personal 
interest  only  in  the  first  and  highest  form  of  the  dance. 
The  second  he  regards  with  a  kind  of  indulgent  amuse- 
ment, admitting  its  place  in  everyday  life,  but  not  con- 
sidering it  seriously  as  a  part  of  music  in  general.  With 
the  third  he  has  no  sympathy  whatever,  but  treats  it 
with  lofty  scorn.  Milton's  notion  of  the  dance,  therefore, 
is  essentially  Greek.  For  him  the  sublimity  of  music 
as  a  whole  compels  a  belief  in  the  sublimity  of  the  dance 
as  a  particular  phase  of  the  art.  The  majesty  of  rhythm 
is  summed  up  in  it,  for  it  makes  visible  the  motions  which 
underlie  all  music.  It  is  in  itself  practically  a  visible 
harmony.2  No  realms  were  too  sublime  for  this  perfec- 
tion of  art.  He  conceived  of  the  planets  as  moving  "  In 
mystic  dance,  not  without  song."  3  The  motions  of  the 
constellations,  computing  "  days,  months,  and  years  " 
are  likened  to  a  "  starry  dance."  4  The  whole  universe 
is  composed  of  "  terrestial  Heaven,  danced  round  by 
other  Heavens."  5  The  morning-star  "  comes  dancing 
from  the  east."  6    On  another  occasion  Milton  asks, 

What  if  the  sun 
Be  centre  to  the  world,  and  other  stars, 
By  his  attractive  virtue  and  their  own 
Incited,  dance  about  him  various  rounds  ?  7 

1  For  the  classic  source  of  these  ideas  see  Plato,  Laws  2.  655  ;  656, 
and  Appendix  V,  pp.  141-142. 

2  "  Poetry,  music,  and  dancing  constitute  in  Aristotle  a  group  by 
themselves,  their  common  element  being  imitation  by  means  of 
rhythm  — rhythm  which  admits  of  being  applied  to  words,  sounds, 
and  the  movements  of  the  body.  The  history  of  these  arts  bears 
out  the  views  we  find  expressed  in  Greek  writers  upon  the  theory 
of  music  ;  it  is  a  witness  to  the  primitive  unity  of  music  and  poetry, 
and  to  the  close  alliance  of  the  two  with  dancing."  Butcher, 
Aristotle's  Theory  of  Poetry  and  Art,  4th  ed.  p.  139.  Cf.  Poet.  1.  5  ; 
Plato,  Laws  2.  655  D. 

8  P.  L.  5.   178.  4  P.  L.  3.  580-581.  5  P.  L.  9.  103. 

•  M.  M.  2.  '  P.  L.  8.  122-125. 


Milton  and  the  Art  of  Music  45 

The  dance  of  the  angels  is  described  as 

Mystical  dance,  which  yonder  starry  sphere 
Of  planets  and  of  fixed  in  all  her  wheels 
Resembles  nearest;  mazes  intricate, 
Eccentric,  intervolved,  yet  regular 
Then  most  when  most  irregular  they  seem.1 

Comus  speaks  of 

the  starry  quire, 
Who,  in  their  nightly  watchful  spheres, 
Lead  in  swift  round  the  months  and  years.2 

Milton  took  this  conception  of  the  dance  of  the  stars 
directly  from  Plato,  Timaeus  40  :  "  Vain  would  be  the 
labor  of  telling  about  all  the  figures  of  them  moving 
as  in  a  dance,  and  their  meetings  with  one  another,  and 
the  return  of  their  orbits  on  themselves,  and  their  approxi- 
mations, and  to  say  which  of  them  in  their  conjunctions 
meet  and  which  of  them  are  in  opposition,  and  how  they 
get  behind  and  before  one  another,  and  at  what  times 
they  are  severally  eclipsed  to  our  sight  and  again  reap- 
pear." 3 

The  angels  express  their  adoration  of  the  Lord  by 
sublime  dances,  accompanied  by  songs  and  instrumental 
music.4  In  the  creation  of  Nature  the  "  stately  trees  " 
are  described,  rising  "as  in  dance."  5  In  another  des- 
cription, 

Spring  and  Autumn  here 
Danced  hand  in  hand.6 

1  P.  L.  5.  620-624. 

2  C.  112-114.    Cf.  also  the  dance  of  the  Pleiades,  P.  L.  7.  374. 

3  Jowett's  tr.  2.  533. 

4  P.  L.   5.  161-163  ;  619-620  ;  630  ;  657  ;  P.  R.   1.  170  ff. 

5  P.  L.   7.  324. 

6  P.  L.   5.  394-395. 


46  Milton's  Knowledge  of  Music 

Sometimes  this  sublimity  of  motion  is  debased  to  wrong 
uses,  as  when  the  priests  of  Moloch  dance  "  about  the 
furnace  blue,"  or  the  "night-hag,"  "lured  with  the  smell 
of  infant  blood,"  goes  to  "  dance  with  Lapland  witches."  1 
Yet  even  in  these  horrible  forms  the  dance  seems  to  have 
a  certain  fascination  for  the  poet. 

It  is  different  with  the  simple  dance  of  pure  joy. 
Here  the  emphasis  is  entirely  on  grace,  daintiness,  and 
delicacy.  It  exhibits  little  of  the  "poetry  of  motion," 
but  much  childish  delight  in  movement.  Thus  the  fairies 
dance.2    Thus 

universal  Pan, 

Knit  with  the  Graces  and  the  Hours  in  dance, 

Led  on  the  eternal  Spring.3 

Thus  the  nymphs  and  the  wood-gods  constantly  disport 
themselves,4  and  thus  poor  mortals  also  at  times  give  vent 
to  their  merriment.5  The  distinction  between  this  style 
of  dance  and  the  higher,  nobler  form  is  made  strikingly 
clear  in  Satan's  sarcastic  comment  on  the  angels  struck 
by  cannon-shot,  who 

into  strange  vagaries  fell, 
As  they  would  dance  ;  yet  for  a  dance  they  seemed 
Somewhat  extravagant  and  wild.6 

Their  motions,  in  other  words,  were  fantastic  enough  to 
suit  the  popular  conception  of  a  dance,  yet  were  unrhyth- 
mic  and  irregular. 

1  P.  L.  2.  664-665  ;  H.  210. 

2  P.  L.  1.  786-787  ;   V.  Ex.  59-64  ;  C.  118. 

3  P.  L.  4  266  ff.  ;  and  cf.  P.  L.  6.  3  ;  P.  P.  1.  57  ;  8. 1.  4  j  T.  2. 

*  C.  883-884  ;  A.  96-99  ;  L.  34-35  ;  E.  5.  110  ft  j  Epit.  Dam.  85  ; 
Ad  Patrem  115  ;  Ad  Rousium  8. 

8  E.  6.  39  ff.  ;  UA.  33  ;  95-96  ;  C.  952. 

•  P.  L.  6.  614-616. 


Milton  and  the  Art  of  Music  47 

Finally  there  is  the  repulsive  and  sensual  type  of  dance, 
for  which  Milton  feels  a  whole-souled  contempt.  It  is 
merely  erotic,  intemperate,  characteristic  of  "  luxury  and 
riot,"  wantonness,  "  midnight  shout  and  revelry." * 
Bacchic  dances,  however,  as  being  more  poetic  in  asso- 
ciation, and  approved  by  classic  tradition,  are  treated 
with  respect.2  Milton  also  applies  the  figure  of  dancing 
to  the  effervescence  of  wine  or  of  a  drug,  possibly  with 
a  thought  of  the  resulting  intoxication.3 

It  becomes  clear,  then,  that  to  Milton  the  dance  is 
not  trivial.  It  is  the  embodiment  of  rhythm  itself,  and 
therefore  of  the  utmost  importance  in  musical  science. 
So  reverent  is  his  attitude  towards  the  classic  dance 
that  the  abuse  of  it  calls  forth  from  him  expressions  of 
bitter  scorn. 

Of  more  particular  forms  of  instrumental  music  Milton 
has  little  to  say.  He  refers  at  times  to  distinct  styles  of 
the  dance,  such  as  the  jig  and  the  morrice,4  but  without 
especial  interest.  He  is  naturally  most  familiar  with 
the  various  forms  of  organ  composition,  particularly  the 
fugue,  which  he  describes  in  a  masterly  and  convincing 
style.5  Milton's  allusion  to  the  fugue  is  no  mere  figure 
of  speech,  but  denotes  a  definite  style  of  composition. 
The  fugue  of  the  sixteenth  and  seventeenth  centuries 
was  really  a  movement  in  canon  form.  Morley's  defini- 
tion shows  this.  He  says  :  "We  call  that  a  Fuge,  when 
one  part  beginneth  and  the  other  singeth  the  same,  for 
some  number  of  notes  (which  the  first  did  sing)."6  There 
were  at  that  time  two  kinds  of  fugue — limited  fugue, 
which  was  in  strict  canon,  and  unlimited  fugue,  which 

1  P.  L.  4.  768  ;  11.  584  ;  714-715  ;  C.  103-104  ;  143-144  ;  176-177. 

2  E.  6.  15  ;  Epit.  Dam.  219. 

3  S.  A.  543  ;  C.  673. 

*  C.  115-116  ;  952  ;  P.   W.  1.  323  ;  3.   152  ;  158. 

6  P.  L.  11.  563  ;  P.   W.  3.  476.  •  Morley,  p.  84. 


48  Milton s  Knowledge  of  Music 

began  in  canon,  but  soon  broke  off  into  free  passages. 
The  latter  form,  as  developed  by  Frescobaldi,1  was  pro- 
bably in  Milton's  mind.  Fugue,  as  we  now  know  it,  did 
not  exist  until  the  eighteenth  century.  When  he  speaks 
of  "the  masterful  running  over  many  chords  and  divis- 
ions,"2 he  probably  has  in  mind  some  fixed  style  of 
composition  for  organ  or  virginal.  Milton  evidently  had 
a  taste  for  musical  embellishment  in  its  proper  place. 
A  bewildering  series  of  passages  pleased  him  because  of 
the  mathematical  order  which  lay  at  the  bottom  of  their 
confusion,  and  because  of  the  demands  made  by  it  upon 
the  analytic  powers  of  the  listener.  The  involved  struc- 
ture of  the  fugue-form  must  therefore  have  appealed  to 
him  very  strongly. 

Such  general  types  of  instrumental  music  as  the  "  little 
consorts  "  and  "  fantasies  "  of  his  own  day  are  almost 
entirely  neglected  by  Milton.3  The  reason  for  this  is  easily 
found.  Aside  from  its  function  of  accompaniment  to 
the  dance,  instrumental  music  has  its  chief  significance  for 
him  in  its  relation  to  the  human  voice.  Taken  by  itself 
it  is  incomplete  and  unsatisfactory.  But  as  supplying 
rhythm,  melody,  and  harmony  for  the  voice,  it  fulfils 
its  highest  function  and  gives  a  working  foundation  for 
all  practical  music.  Nearly  all  of  Milton's  instrumental 
music  directly  implies,  or  at  least  suggests  that  it  may 
be  the  accompaniment  of  song.  And  his  direct  refer- 
ences to  song  so  far  outnumber  those  dealing  with  in- 
strumental music,  and  are  of  so  much  more  personal  a 
character,  that  no  doubt  can  remain  as  to  the  real  pre- 
ference of  the  poet.     To  him  music  is,  primarily,  song.4 

1  Cf.  note  2,  p.  22  above.  2  P.   W.  3.  62. 

8  Except  in  very  general  or  figurative  application  ;  cf.  II  P. 
144-145  ;  H.  132  ;  and  possibly  S.  M.  27  ;  P.  L.  5.  296. 

4  He  is  emphatic  in  representing  Orpheus  as  exercising  his  power 
"  carmine,  non  cithara,"  Ad  Patrem  52-55. 


Milton  and  the  Art  of  Music  49 

Milton's  preference  for  vocal  music  was  a  natural  one. 
It  must  be  remembered  that  he  was  primarily  a  poet, 
and  secondarily  a  musician.  To  him  all  poetry  in  its 
essence  was  song,  and  therefore  he  felt  the  strongest 
appeal  in  that  kind  of  music  which  could  be  combined 
with  verse.  Moreover,  Milton  lived  at  a  time  when 
poetry  and  music  were  very  closely  allied.1  That  his 
own  skill  lay  chiefly  in  vocal  music  is  also  significant. 
Finally,  the  influence  of  the  classical  writers  must  be 
taken  into  consideration,  for  with  them  the  terms 
"  poetry  "  and  "  song  "  were  practically  synonymous. 

That  Milton  knew  something  of  vocal  culture  is  assured 
by  the  statements  of  Aubrey  that  he  "  had  good  skill," 
and  that  he  "  taught  his  nephews  to  sing."  2  But  it 
must  be  remembered  that  vocal  culture  in  Milton's  day, 
was  very  primitive.  The  placing  of  the  voice,  the  proper 
control  of  the  breath  and  many  other  demands  of  modern 
skill  received  little  or  no  attention.  If  a  singer  could 
read  music  at  sight  and  keep  a  correct  pitch,  his  training 
was  considered  adequate,  and  quality  and  power  were  a 
secondary  matter.  So  Milton's  "  good  skill  "  must  not 
be  rated  too  highly  in  the  light  of  modern  training.  We 
may  assume,  however,  that  a  man  of  Milton's  aesthetic 
sensibilities  and  painstaking  habits  would  be  satisfied 
with  nothing  less  than  the  best  quality. of  amateur  art. 
Of  his  interest  in  the  human  voice  and  his  conception  of 
the  science  of  tone  production  many  hints  are  given  all 
through  his  works.  His  English  poems  alone  contain 
eighty-three  references  to  the  voice,  many  of  which  have 
a  distinctly  musical  significance.3  It  is  difficult,  however, 
to  make  a  definite  analysis  of  Milton's  conception  of  vocal 
music.     His  poetizing  tendency  continually  gets  the  better 

1  Cf.  Chap.  I,  pp.  8,  11.  2  Brie]  Lives  2.  64  ;  67. 

3  Cf.  particularly  P.  L.  5.  204  ;  9.  530  ;  P.  R.  4.  256  ;  A.  11  ; 
UA.  142  :  S.  20.  11  :  H.  96  ;  C.  247.     See  G. 


50  Milton's  Knowledge  of  Music 

of  his  scientific  knowledge.  As  a  result,  confusion  fre- 
quently arises  from  his  use  of  technical  details  to  express 
mystical  ideas.  In  general  he  may  be  said  to  refer  all 
song  to  a  form  of  motion,  the  breath  causing  a  vibration  of 
the  vocal  chords,  transmitted,  in  turn,  to  the  external  air. 
In  its  details,  however,  such  a  technical  explanation  is, 
to  him,  utterly  prosaic.  Some  reason  must  also  be  found 
for  the  existence  of  this  mysterious  force  in  the  human 
body.  It  is  most  simply  and  poetically  supplied  by  the 
introduction  of  a  divine  agency.1  To  Leonora,  singing 
at  Rome,  he  says  "  either  God,  or  at  least  some  high 
intelligence  of  the  deserted  heaven,  warbles  active  in 
secret  through  thy  throat."  2  Practically  the  same  idea 
is  expressed  by  Comus  when  he  says  of  the  Lady's 
singing, 

Can  any  mortal  mixture  of  earth's  mould 
Breathe  such  divine  enchanting  ravishment  ? 
Sure  something  holy  lodges  in  that  breast, 
And  with  these  raptures  moves  the  vocal  air 
To  testify  his  hidden  residence.3 

Such  a  mystical  conception  as  this  shows  clearly  that 
Milton's  chief  interest  in  song  is  not  a  technical  one.  In 
making  this  statement  the  accuracy  of  his  knowledge  is 
not  for  a  moment  questioned  ;  he  was  undoubtedly  well 
versed  in  the  technique  of  vocal  music,  and  the  various 
styles  of  song  current  in  his  own  day  were  also  familiar 
to  him.  His  taste  seems  to  lean  toward  the  sacred  rather 
than  the  secular  forms,  and  references  to  hymns,  anthems, 
chants,  psalms,  and  other  forms  of  the  church  service  are 

1  This  is  a  Platonic  conception.     See  Phaedrus  245  ;  265. 

2  Ad  Leonoram  1.  5-6.     Masson's  tr.,  Life  1.  804. 

8  C.  244-248.  Cf.  also  the  influence  of  Apollo  as  pictured  in 
E.  6.  45-46  ;  Ad  Patrem  66.  For  classic  sources  of  the  conception 
cf.  Claudian,  In  Eutropium  1.  327  ;  2.  46. 


Milton  and  the  Art  of  Music  51 

frequent.1  On  the  secular  side  he  makes  intelligent  allu- 
sions to  such  popular  contemporary  forms  as  airs,  madri- 
gals, ballads,  and  rounds.2 

But  Milton's  conception  of  vocal  music  is  too  broad  to 
be  limited  by  the  set  forms  of  his  own  day.  His  ideals  are 
far  beyond  the  bounds  of  technical  details.  His  spirit  is 
the  classic  spirit,  and  his  attitude  is  that  of  the  Greek. 
The  single  term  "  music,"  in  the  Greek  sense,  included 
the  kindred  arts  of  tone,  of  poetry,  and  of  the  dance. 
This  easily  explains  Milton's  persistent  connection  of  the 
three.  But  to  the  Greek  mind  "  poetry  "  was  essentially 
"  song,"  and  Milton  likewise  uses  the  terms  almost 
synonymously.  He  is  particularly  fond  of  describing 
himself  as  a  singer  and  his  writings  as  song.  It  is  thus 
that  he  speaks  of  his  greatest  works,  Paradise  Lost  and 
Paradise  Regained  : 

I,  who  erewhile  the  happy  garden  sung, 
By  one  man's  disobedience  lost,  now  sing 
Recovered  Paradise  to  all  mankind.3 

Again  and  again  he  refers  to  his  other  poems  in  the  same 
terms.4  The  great  Nativity  Hymn,  when  nearing  its 
close,  becomes  a  "  tedious  song,"  5  and  later,  in  writing 
of  the  Passion,  the  poet  says,  "  now  to  sorrow  must  I  tune 
my  song."6  Other  poets,  prophets,  and  even  speakers 
are  described  at  times  as  expressing  their  thoughts  in 
"  song." 7    In  the  Latin  poems  of  Milton  the  word  carmen 

1  Cf.  particularly  P.  L.  2.  242  ;  5.  656  ;  P.  R.  4.  335  ;  594  ;  II  P. 
163  ;  H.  17  ;  219  ;  8.  M.  15  ;  P.  W.  1.  466  ;  2.  61  ;  426.  See  G. 

2  Cf.  C.  495  ;  P.  W.  2.  73  ;  S.  13,  title  ;  P.  R.  2.  362  ;  PA.  136  ; 
P.  27  ;  C.  144  ;  P.   W.  2.  57.     See  G. 

3  P.  P.  1.  1-3. 

4  Cf.  particularly  P.  L.  1.  13  ;  3.  18  ;  413  ;  7.  24  ;  30  ;  P.  P. 
1.  12  ;  L.  186. 

5  H.  239.  6  P.  8. 

7  Cf.  P.  L.  7.  107  ;  8.  243-244  ;  9.  25  ;  10.  862  ;  P.  R.  3.  178  ; 
PA.  17  ;  H.  5  ;  8.  13.  13  ;   V.  Ex.  45. 

d  2 


52  Milton's  Knowledge  of  Music 

invariably  has  the  meaning  "verse"  or  "poetry."1 
Moreover,  in  this  strictly  classic  sense,  he  never  represents 
the  singer  as  voicing  any  but  his  own  thoughts.  This 
conception  is  most  clearly  brought  out  by  Milton  in  his 
lines  to  his  father,  in  which  he  vigorously  defends  his  own 
desire  to  write  carmina — in  other  words,  to  be  a  poet. 

Milton's  first  and  highest  definition  of  song,  then,  might 
be  worded  as  "  The  expression  of  thought  in  rhythmical 
form."  It  will  be  noted  that  in  this  definition  rhythm, 
not  melody,  is  the  essential  quality. 

Melody,  however,  has  its  place  in  song,  and  this  appears 
in  a  more  concrete  meaning,  also  modelled  on  classic  lines, 
which  Milton  often  employs.  According  to  this  more 
definite  conception,  song  is  the  chanting  of  words  to  in- 
strumental accompaniment.  In  such  song  there  is  little 
melody  in  our  modern  sense,  yet  the  conception  is  dis- 
tinctly different  from  that  of  his  fundamental  definition, 
"  all  poetry  is  song."  It  is  in  this  more  concrete  fashion 
that  Milton  most  frequently  describes  song.  All  his  most 
idealized  types  of  singing,  the  bards  of  ancient  and  me- 
dieval times,  Apollo  and  the  Muses,  Orpheus,  the  greatest 
lyric  poets,  and  particularly  the  celestial  choirs  are  re- 
presented thus.2  It  will  be  noticed  that  the  identity  of 
singer  and  composer  is  still  insisted  upon.  The  angels  of 
Heaven  instinctively  sing  in  harmony,  for,  even  though 
each  individual  may  be  improvising,  the  subject  is  the 
same  for  all — the  praise  of  the  Creator.  Even  the  fallen 
angels  produce  ravishing  music,  their  celestial  instinct 
still  remaining  with  them,  although  their  song  now  is  but 
"  partial,"  that  is,  a  matter  of  individual  taste,  having 
lost  its  spirit  of  community.3     It  is  this  sublime  chanting 

1  Cf.  E.  5. 5;  6.  5;  6;  14;  Ad  Patrem  17;  21 ;  24;  26;  33;  37;  41 ;  53;  55. 

2  Cf.  especially  P.  L.  3.  372  ;  383  ;  6.  886  ;  7.  182  ;  5.  161  ;  1.  6  ; 
11  P.  48  ;  105  ;    V.  Ex.  37,  and  Glossary,  s.  v.  song. 

3  P.  L.  2.  552  ff.     See  Appendix  I,  p.  114,  note  1. 


Milton  and  the  Art  of  Music  53 

to  instrumental  accompaniment  which  is  really  Milton's 
ideal  of  song.  If  the  motions  of  the  dance  are  added,  the 
Greek  idea  is  complete,  and  the  whole  of  musical  art  is 
realized.  When  Milton  speaks  of  poetry  as  song,  he 
really  identifies  the  poet  with  the  ancient  bard,  and  his 
expression  must  therefore  be  taken  not  as  mere  metaphor, 
but  as  uttering  a  very  concrete  and  definite  conception. 
The  classic  influences  are  thus  even  more  evident  in 
Milton's  conception  of  vocal  than  in  that  of  instrumental 
music.  He  is  forced,  nevertheless,  to  recognize  also  the 
merits  of  the  contemporary  style  of  song. 

This  leads  him  to  a  third  conception,  the  most  concrete, 
the  most  technical,  the  least  poetic  of  all.  According  to 
the  music  of  his  own  time,  song  is  merely  melody  set  to 
words.  Rhythm  is  a  secondary  matter.  Harmonic  com- 
binations and  the  variations  of  pitch  are  all-important. 
The  verse  is  of  no  consequence  whatever.  In  fact,  the 
words  of  such  a  popular  form  as  the  madrigal  may  be 
wholly  meaningless — mere  doggerel.  It  follows  that  the 
composer  of  the  music  is  clearly  differentiated  from  the 
composer  of  the  words.  The  lyric  poet,  in  the  classic 
sense,  no  longer  exists.  Any  one  can  improvise  a 
melody  or  parts,  provided  that  the  words  be  already  set. 
In  such  a  style  of  song  there  is  slight  appeal  to  Milton, 
the  poet.1  He  is  forced  to  admire  the  skill  exhibited  in 
part-singing.2  He  is  fascinated  by  the  perfection  of 
technique  implied  by  the  "  wanton  heed  and  giddy 
cunning  "  of  the  "  melting  voice  through  mazes  running."3 

1  Cf.  A  13.  1-4. 

2  He  probably  possessed  considerable  ability  himself.  See  Earliest 
Life,  p.  21 :  "  He  had  an  excellent  ear,  and  could  bear  a  part 
both  in  Vocal  and  Instrumental  music. " 

3  VA.  141-142.  These  words  illustrate  again  Milton's  love  of 
an  "  orderly  confusion  "  already  brought  out  in  the  description  of 
the  organist,  P.  L.  11.  561  ff.,  and  of  the  dance  of  the  spheres,  P.  L. 
5.  620  ff. 


54  Milton's  Knowledge  of  Music 

But  even  such  complicated  measures  fall  far  short  of  the 
sublimity  of  real  poetry.  His  sonnet  to  Harry  Lawes 
shows  clearly  his  contempt  for  the  ordinary  song-writers 
of  his  day.  They  insult  the  verses  which  are  intrusted  to 
them.  They  "  scan  with  Midas'  ears."  To  Lawes  alone 
can  he  say  with  truth, 

Thou  honour'st  Verse,  and  Verse  must  send  her  wing 
To  honour  thee,  the  priest  of  Phoebus'  quire.1 

Except  in  such  particular  instances,  song,  as  mere  melody 
set  to  words,  can  assume  no  real  importance  in  Milton's 
mind.2  He  is  glad  to  put  it  into  the  mouths  of  the  cheer- 
ful peasants.3  It  fits  well  enough  the  "  serenate  which  the 
starv'd  lover  sings."4  In  fact,  for  the  average  mortal 
this  style  of  song  is  quite  satisfactory.  But  mere  imi- 
tative skill  can  never  hope  to  compete  with  the  creative 
instinct  which  is  characteristic  of  song  in  the  best  sense 
of  the  word.5 

Milton  may  be  said  to  think  of  song  in  still  another  way 
when  he  applies  the  term  to  mere  sound  without  words. 
Strictly  speaking,  however,  this  is  but  a  symbolic  re- 
presentation of  the  melodic  style  of  song  just  described, 
and  his  usage  may  be  considered  as  simply  metaphorical. 
Such  are  his  frequent  allusions  to  the  song  of  birds.6  Yet 
these  allusions  are  not  merely  conventional.  The  bird- 
song  is  represented  as  possessing  a  very  definite  quality, 
a  characteristic  emotional  effect,  as  is  the  case  with  musi- 
cal   instruments.     This    is    especially    true    of    Milton's 

1  S.   13.  4  ;  9-10.     Cf.  Appendix  II. 

2  Milton  was  evidently  so  much  impressed  with  the  ability  of 
Lawes  that  he  even  allowed  hini  to  make  alterations  in  the  text  of 
Comu8.     See  Appendix  II,  p.   125,  note. 

3  VA.  65.  4  P.  L.  4.  769.     Cf.   P.  L.  11.  580-584. 
6  Cf.  above,  p.  52. 

«  P.  L.  3.  39  ;  4.  603  ;  5.  7  ;  41  ;  198  ;  7.  433  ;  8.  519;  V A.  7  ; 
11  P.  56. 


Milton  and  the  Art  of  Music  55 

favorite,  the  nightingale,  who  is  described  as  singing  "  her 
amorous  descant  "  in  haYmony  with  all  Nature.1  So  also 
the  bee  sings  "at  her  flowery  work."2  Instrumental 
accompaniment  to  vocal  music  is  poetically  expressed  by 
the  phrase  "  the  hand  sung  with  the  voice."  3  Similarly, 
in  giving  the  call  to  arms,  "  the  matin  trumpet  sung."4 
Such  metaphors  as  these,  however,  scarcely  require  a 
separate  classification. 

Milton's  conception  of  vocal  music  may  therefore  be 
summed  up  as  threefold.  Essentially,  all  poetry,  every 
rhythmical  expression  of  thought,  is  song.  As  such  it  is 
the  highest  form  of  art.  More  concretely  considered, 
such  song  is  represented  by  the  chanting  of  words  to 
instrumental  accompaniment,  which,  indeed,  is  the  actual 
form  in  which  the  ancient  bards  uttered  their  poetry. 
Lastly,  song  must  be  considered  in  its  technical  contem- 
porary sense,  as  melody  fitted  to  words,  or  even  melody 
without  words,  in  which  case  the  term  "  song  "  may  be 
applied  metaphorically  to  the  sounds  of  birds  and  even 
of  musical  instruments. 

In  Milton's  conception  and  use  of  the  art  of  music, 
then,  the  most  significant  point  is  his  tendency  to  poetize 
the  actual,  concrete  elements  and  materials  of  the  art. 
He  takes  the  common  facts  of  instrumental  and  vocal 
music  as  he  finds  them,  and  then  exalts  them  to  the  level 
of  his  own  poetic  imagination.  To  him,  musical  instru- 
ments are  not  mere  structures  of  wood,  strings,  and  brass. 
They  are  organisms  inspired  with  life  of  a  universal 
reality,  dead  things  "  pierced  "  with  the  "  inbreath'd 
sense  "  of  the  "  sphere-born  harmonious  sisters,  Voice  and 
Verse."  5 

1  P.  L.  4.603.  See  the  discussion  of  descant  below,  Appendix  I, 
p.  116. 

2  II  P.  143.  3  P.  R.  1.  172.  *  P.  L.  6.  526. 
5  S.  M.  2-4. 


56  Milton's  Knowledge  of  Music 

They  perform  definite  functions  and  possess  definite 
characters.  They  are  the  concrete  representatives  of 
basic  musical  reality.  Just  as  the  laws  of  mathematics 
must  be  learned  if  one  would  be  in  touch  with  the  absolute 
entities,  so  the  technique  of  instrument  or  voice  must 
be  mastered  in  order  that  one  may  grasp  the  sublime  truths 
of  music.  And  there  can  be  no  doubt  as  to  the  thorough- 
ness of  Milton's  technique.  He  knows  the  instruments  in 
all  their  details.  He  knows  the  mechanism  of  the  human 
voice  as  well  as  it  could  be  known  in  his  day.  But  he  is 
not  satisfied  with  the  mere  conception  of  a  vibrating  set 
of  vocal  chords.  He  demands  a  soul,  a  divine  power,  to 
set  the  mechanism  in  motion,  to  cause  it  to  utter  not  mere 
unintelligible  noise,  but  immortal  verse.1  What  mathe- 
matician, what  physicist  would  stop  at  the  mere  learning 
of  set  formulas  which  any  one  can  commit  to  memory  ?  Of 
what  use  would  his  knowledge  be  to  him,  if  it  did  not 
bring  him  closer  to  ultimate  reality  ?  Similarly,  says 
Milton,  why  should  a  musician  be  satisfied  with  the  technic- 
al formulas  relating  to  instrument  and  voice  when  they 
stand  ready  to  lead  him  on  through  the  laws  of  Nature 
itself  to  some  ultimate  truth  ? 

Thus  interpreted,  Milton's  knowledge  of  the  art  of 
music  becomes  something  infinitely  greater  and  more 
significant  than  that  of  even  the  skilled  composers  of  his 
day.  It  is  a  knowledge  whose  details  fit  into  his  whole 
philosophy  of  life,  a  knowledge  which  assures  him  of  the 
bond  of  union  between  the  aesthetic  and  the  ethical,  a 
knowledge  which  leads  him  to  a  conviction  of  reality  and 
of  the  final  purposes  of  God  Himself. 

1  For  the  Platonic  origin  of  this  conception,  see  Appendix  V,  p.  139. 


IV 

MILTON  AND  THE  THEORY  OF  MUSIC 

Milton  was  no  mere  dabbler  in  music — no  dilettante, 
seeking  amusement  and  culture  with  the  smallest  possible 
expenditure  of  effort.  He  took  all  his  interests  seriously, 
believing  that  what  was  at  all  worthy  of  attention  was 
worthy  of  thorough  and  detailed  study.  His  attitude 
towards  music  was  primarily  that  of  a  painstaking 
scholar.  Yet  Milton's  scholarship  was  of  a  kind  which 
necessarily  tends  towards  mysticism.  Music  had  for  him 
a  much  deeper  significance  than  that  of  a  mere  accidental, 
interesting  phenomenon,  or  even  of  a  highly  developed 
art.  A  hint  as  to  the  nature  of  this  deeper  significance 
has  already  been  given  in  the  preceding  chapter.  A  con- 
sideration of  his  theory  of  music  leads  one  even  further 
in  the  same  direction,  and  results  in  a  revelation  of  the 
entire  mystical  philosophy  of  the  poet.  Biographers  are 
here  of  little  assistance,  and  our  conclusions  must  be 
drawn  mainly  from  his  works.  Judged  by  these  Milton's 
theory  of  music  may  be  said  to  consist  of  two  kinds,  which 
may  be  termed  roughly  the  scientific  and  the  metaphysic- 
al. By  the  first  is  meant  that  part  of  musical  theory 
which  is  based  upon  mathematical  truths,  and  is  therefore 
assumed  to  possess  objective  reality.  The  second  includes 
the  conceptions  of  the  origin  and  nature  of  music,  and  of 
its  mystic  relationship  to  the  whole  universe.  Both  phases 
of  Milton's  theory  were  derived  by  him  from  classical 
sources,  both  were  developed  by  him  in  the  light  of  con- 
temporary scholarship,  and  both  received  the  stamp  of 
his  own  individuality  in  the  final  form  which  they  took 
in  his  mind. 


58  Milton  s  Knowledge  of  Music 

Strictly  speaking,  the  Greek  theories  ot  music  can 
scarcely  be  called  scientific.  Plato  had  expanded  the 
mystical  Pythagorean  system  of  numbers,  without  making 
its  mysticism  more  intelligible.  Aristotle  had  criticized 
without  illuminating.  Aristoxenus,  Plutarch  and  Claudius 
Ptolemaeus  had  made  successive  attempts  at  inter- 
pretation without  carrying  conviction  to  their  readers. 
Finally,  Boethius  had  collected  all  the  material  and  pre- 
tended to  expound  it,  the  result  being,  in  the  main,  a 
meaningless  jumble  of  vague  definitions.  It  is  not  ne- 
cessary for  us  here  to  attempt  an  analysis  of  this  complex 
mass  of  ancient  theory.  Our  study  is  concerned  only 
with  its  effect  upon  Milton,  and  it  is  sufficient  for  us  to 
know  that  he  found  a  definite  meaning  in  much  that  to 
us  is  unintelligible,  that  he  was  able  to  discern  unerringly 
which  ideas  had  a  permanent  value,  and  that  he  succeed- 
ed in  adapting  this  material  to  the  conditions  of  thought 
in  his  own  time. 

Milton's  natural  love  of  the  orderly  and  the  mathe- 
matical inspired  in  him  a  more  than  usual  interest  in 
the  so-called  "  measurable  music."  The  Pythagorean 
system  of  numbers,  the  necessary  relationships  of  concord 
and  discord,  the  mysteries  of  "  proportions  "  in  pitch 
and  rhythm,  exercised  upon  him  a  peculiar  fascination 
which  is  reflected  in  numerous  allusions  throughout  his 
works.  He  regards  number  and  measure  as  essential  in 
music,  because  they  give  it  objective  reality  and  perman- 
ence. Without  this  mathematical  foundation,  music,  as 
a  science  or  even  as  a  scientific  art,  could  not  exist.  And 
since  number  and  measure  are  universal,  music  is  there- 
fore an  essential   and   inherent   part   of  the  universe.1 

1  Cf.  Plato,  Timaeus  69,  "  When  all  things  were  in  disorder,  God 
created  in  each  thing,  both  in  reference  to  itself  and  other  things, 
certain  harmonies  in  such  degree  and  manner  as  they  are  capable 
of  having  proportion  and  harmony."  — Jowett's  tr.  2.  p.  560.     For 


Milton  and  the  Theory  of  Music  59 

Poetry  is  so  closely  connected  with  music  that  their 
fundamental  laws  are  in  large  part  the  same.  Therefore 
poetry  also  may  be  said  to  gain  universality  not  only 
through  its  idealistic  handling  of  truth,  but  through  its 
dependance  on  number  and  measure  as  well.  With  such 
a  conception  as  this,  it  is  only  natural  that  the  poet 
should  emphasize  the  scientific  or  mathematical  element 
in  music.     He  speaks  of  the 

secret  power 
Of  harmony,  in  tones  and  numbers  hit 
By  voice  or  hand,  and  various-measured  verse.1 

He  describes  the  planets  which 

move 
Their  starry  dance  in  numbers  that  compute 
Days,  months,  and  years.2 

The  heavenly  music  is  composed  of 

the  innumerable  sound 
Of  hymns  and  sacred  songs.3 

An  elaborate  play  on  scientific  musical  terms  is  con- 
tained in  the  Lines  on  the  University  Carrier : 

Time  numbers  motion,  yet   (without  a  crime 
'Gainst  old  truth)  motion  numbered  out  his  time.4 

a  detailed  explanation  of  the  Pythagorean  system  of  numbers,  see 
Boeckh,  Kleinere  Schriften  3.  169  ff.  Cf.  also  Jowett's  tr.  of  Plato, 
2.  455  ;  490.  Plutarch  devotes  four  chapters  to  an  exposition  of 
the  theories  of  Plato  and  Aristotle  (Westphal's  ed.  De  Musica  16-19, 
tr.  pp.  49-51).  See  also  Boethius,  Paul's  tr.  38-60,  and  Plato's 
Republic  7.  522-532. 

1  P.  R.  4.  254-256.         2  P.  L.  3.  579-581.  3  P.  L.  3.  147-148. 

4  U.  C.  2.  7-8.  Cf.  also  P.  L.  3.  37  ;  345  ;  5.  150  ;  8.  19  ;  113  ; 
10.  888  ;    Ad  Patrem    51  ;    58  ;    Ad  Rousium    48  ;    P.   W.  3.  117. 


60  Milton's  Knowledge  of  Music 

"  Motion  "  (besides  its  general  philosophical  sense)  seems 
to  bear  in  Milton  a  twofold  musical  significance.  Its 
more  general  meaning  is  that  of  actual  motion  productive 
of  sound,  as  the  vibration  of  a  string  or  of  the  air,  or  the 
whirling  of  the  spheres.  Thus  the  "  silver  chime  "  of  the 
"  crystal  spheres  "  is  said  to  "  move  in  melodious  time,"1 
and  in  C omits  the  song  of  the  lady  is  described  as  due  to 
"  something  holy  "  which  "  moves  the  vocal  air."  2  But 
"  motion  "  may  also  refer  to  the  variations  of  musical 
numbers,  the  change  of  pitch,  or  the  modulations  of  har- 
mony.3 Thus  Milton  speaks  of  "  thoughts  that  volun- 
tary move  harmonious  numbers  "  4  and  the  lines 

My  heart,  which  by  a  secret  harmony 
Still  moves  with  thine,5 

have  almost  certainly  at  least  a  secondary  musical  signif- 
icance.6 

Milton's  conception  of  "  motion  "  is  thus  necessarily 
complex.  He  is  attracted  by  the  various  possibilities  of 
the  idea,  and  he  uses  it  in  that  all-inclusive  fashion  which 
is  so  characteristic  of  his  treatment  of  expressions  preg- 
nant with  meaning.  In  other  words,  his  conception  of 
motion  is  limited  neither  to  the  actual  nor  the  theoretical. 
It  is  a  combination  of  both  in  all  their  possible  phases. 
To  him  all  music  is  motion,  and  all  motion  is  potentially 
music.  Music  not  only  begins  in  actual  motion,  but  con- 
tinues in  motion  and  can  manifest  itself  only  in  motion. 
A  single  note,  continuing  unchanged,  would  still  imply 
some  actual  motion  as  its  cause,  and  as  soon  as  another 

1  H.  128. 

2  C.  247.     Cf.  also  P.  L.  3.  580;  5.  177  ;  618  ;   C.  116  ;  L.  180. 

3  See  the  discussion  of  the  subject  in  Morley,  p.  202  ;  Macran's 
translation  of  Aristoxenus,  pp.  170-171  ;  Boethius  1.3;  and  below, 
Appendix  V,  pp.   137-139. 

«  P.  L.  3.  37.         *  P.  L.  10.  358-359.         •  Cf.  also  U.  C.  2.  7. 


Milton  and  the  Theory  of  Music  61 

note  is  added,  giving  the  basis  of  melody  or  harmony, 
there  is  not  only  the  fresh  motion  of  new  vibrations,  but 
the  progression  through  the  interval  from  one  note  to  the 
other  as  well.1 

The  word  "  measure  "  was  very  generally  applied  to 
music  in  Milton's  own  time  and  in  a  variety  of  meanings.2 
Its  commonest  significance  pertained  to  rhythm,  and  any 
form  of  rhythmical  dance  was  loosely  called  "  a  measure." 
It  is  in  this  sense  that  Milton  uses  the  word  in  Comus, 
when  he  introduces  a  heading,  "  The  measure,"  in  the 
manner  of  a  stage -direction.  But  Milton's  general  con- 
ception of  "  measure  "  is  much  broader  than  the  mere 
idea  of  a  dance.  To  him  all  real  music  was  measurable, 
and  the  word  could  therefore  express  either  rhythm  or 
correctness  of  intervals — in  fact,  anything  directly  con- 
nected with  the  mathematical  proportions  of  music. 
In  the  Arcades  he  describes  music  as  that  which  can 

keep  unsteady  Nature  to  her  law, 
And  the  low  world  in  measured  motion  draw 
After  the  heavenly  tune.3 

Milton  is  particularly  fond  of  the  word  "  proportion  " 
as  applied  to  music.4  It  was  a  term  still  common  in  the 
music  of  his  own  time,  and  was  applied  to  relations  both 

1  Cf.  the  definition  of  "  motion  "  in  Grove's  Diet. 

2  The  expression  "  measurable  music "  represented  an  idea, 
based  upon  the  Pythagorean  theory,  that  correct  music  could  be 
composed  through  a  mere  knowledge  of  the  mechanical  laws  govern- 
ing the  art.  As  a  result  much  music  was  composed  which  was 
entirely  unmelodic  and  valuable  only  as  an  exercise.  It  was  an 
idea  analogous  to  the  prevalent  modern  theory  that  technical 
correctness  is  sufficient  to  create  art,  whether  it  be  in  music, 
painting,  or  literature. 

3  A.  70-72.  Cf.  also  P.  L.  9.  846 ;  P.  R.  1.  170 ;  S.  2.  10 ;  P.  W. 
2.  418  ;  3.  135. 

4  See  Glossary. 


62  Milton  s  Knowledge  of  Music 

of  pitch  and  of  rhythm.  Interesting  discussions  of  the 
subject  may  be  found  in  Morley  and  Boethius,1  and  Milton 
probably  depended  on  both  of  these,  as  well  as  on  some 
of  the  older  authorities,  for  his  knowledge.  The  poet 
believed  that  all  harmony  and  all  rhythm  were  due  to 
certain  distinct  mathematical  proportions,  and  that  these 
existed  throughout  the  universe  in  the  same  manner  as 
in  music.2  Owing  to  this  very  general  application,  it  is 
not  always  possible  to  read  musical  significance  into 
Milton's  use  of  "  proportion."  In  a  few  cases,  however, 
his  meaning  is  unmistakeable.  A  good  example  is  the 
visionary  organist  whose  improvisations  lead  him  "  in- 
stinct, through  all  proportions  low  and  high."  3  The 
importance  of  "  proportion  "  in  the  universe  is  shown  in 
the  lines  At  a  Solemn  Music,  when 

disproportioned  Sin 
Jarred  against  Nature's  chime,  and  with  harsh  din 
Broke  the  fair  music  that  all  creatures  made.4 

The  captive  Samson  bewails  the  lack  of  harmony  in  his 
nature.  His  bodily  strength  is  "  immeasurable,"  his 
wisdom  "  nothing  more  than  mean."  "  These  two,  pro- 
portioned ill,  "  drove  him  "  transverse."  5 

In  his  conceptions  of  harmony,  of  concord,  and  of 
discord,  Milton  shows  closest  dependence  upon  classic 
sources.  In  fact  it  is  difficult  to  understand  his  notion 
of  harmony  unless  one  refers  to  his  Greek  originals.  His 
use  of  the  terms  "  symphony  "  and  "  harmony  "  often 
gives  the  impression  that  they  are  synonymous.     This, 


1  See  Morley,  pp.  31,  241  ;  Boethius   1.   7;   16-19;  2.  8-31  ;  3 
(entire)  ;  4.  1-13  ;  and  Appendix  V,  pp.   138-139. 

2  Cf.  C.  773  ;  P.  L.  5.  479.  3  P.  L.  11.  562.         4  S.  M.  19-21. 
6  flf.  A.  209.     See  Appendix  I,  p.  123.     Cf.  also  P.  L.  8.  385  ; 

9.  711  ;  936;  C.  330;  P.  W.   1.  233;  2.  90. 


Milton  and  the  Theory  of  Music  63 

however,  is  a  false  interpretation  of  their  meaning.  The 
distinction  between  the  two  terms  is  made  clear  by  a  com- 
parison with  the  Greek  depjiovioc  and  oTjjjicpwvta.  In  the 
classic  usage,  "  harmony  "  has  the  general  meaning  of 
an  adjustment  or  fitting  together  of  parts.  It  is  used 
particularly  as  denoting  a  scale  or  a  system,  whose  parts 
have  been  adjusted  in  their  proper  relations.  With  the 
modern  sense  of  harmony,  as  distinguished  from  melody, 
it  has,  of  course,  nothing  in  common.  Milton  uses  the 
term  in  a  larger  sense  to  include  everything  within  the 
sphere  of  music  showing  definite  system  or  relationship. 
The  word  "  symphony,"  however,  in  the  Greek  sense,  can 
be  applied  only  to  the  sound  of  two  tones  in  concord. 
It  is  confined  within  very  definite  limits.  To  the  Greeks 
only  three  intervals  constituted  concords — the  fourth,  the 
fifth,  and  the  octave,  known  respectively  as  BtaTeavrapow. 
Bnx7u£vts,  and  Bta^aawv.1  Any  one  of  these  combi- 
nations might  thus  be  termed  a  "  symphony."  The 
meaning  of  the  term  could  therefore  be  included  in  that 
of  "  harmony,"  but  could  not  possibly  be  identical  with 
it.  It  is  impossible  to  say  how  strictly  Milton  adhered 
to  the  rigid  principles  of  concord  and  discord  laid  down 
by  the  Greeks.  Of  the  various  kinds  of  "  symphony  " 
mentioned  above  he  names  only  one,  the  octave  or 
diapason.  He  applies  this  term  most  fittingly,  as  the 
"  perfect  concord,"  to  the  harmony  which  existed  be- 
tween Heaven  and  Earth  before  "  disproportioned  Sin  " 
had  jarred  the  music  of  the  universe.2  Aside  from  this 
one  instance  we  find  no  mention  of  any  actual  Greek 
<7U[j.(pwvia.     He  speaks  much  of  concords  and  discords,  of 

1  The  sum  of  two  or  more  octaves,  the  sum  of  one  or  more  octaves 
and  a  fourth,  and  the  sum  of  one  or  more  octaves  and  a  fifth  would 
also  be  counted  as  concords,  because  of  the  perfect  concord  of  the 
octave.     See  Aristoxenus  20. 

2  8.  M.  19-24. 


64  Milton's  Knowledge  of  Music 

consonance  and  dissonance  in  general,  but  gives  no  hint 
of  the  musical  intervals  which  he  may  have  had  in  mind.1 
The  distinction  between  harmony  and  symphony  is  made 
particularly  clear  in  two  passages  in  which  both  terms 
are  used  together.     The  first  refers  to 

the  sound 
Symphonious  of  ten  thousand  harps,  that  tuned 
Angelic  harmonies.2 

The  meaning  here  is  obvious.  The  "  angelic  harmonies  " 
are  merely  the  general  system  of  celestial  music.  In 
order  to  take  part  in  it,  the  sound  of  the  harps  must  be 
"  symphonious,"  that  is,  in  perfect  concord.  The  second 
passage  occurs  in  the  description  of  the  celestial  music 
in  the  Nativity  Hymn,  when  the  spheres  are  commanded 
to  "  ring  out  "  in  honor  of  the  Savior's  birth, 

And  with  your  nine-fold  harmony 

Make  up  full  consort  to  the  angelic .  symphony.3 

In  other  words,  the  system  of  the  sphere-music,  when 
added  to  the  concord  of  the  angels,  gives  the  effect  of  a 
complete  orchestra.4 

1  Cf.  P.  L.  2.  497  ;  967  ;  3.  371  ;  6.  210  ;  311  ;  897  ;  7.  32  ;  217  ; 
9.  1124  ;  10.  707  ;  12.  29  ;  8.  A.  662  ;  1008  ;  8.  M.  17  ;  26  ;  C.  550  ; 
P.  W.   1.  161  ;  176;  241;  3.  237. 

2  P.  L.   7.  558-560.     3  H.   131-132. 

4  The  word  "  symphony  "  is  sometimes  used  by  Milton  as  mean- 
ing a  band  or  choir,  and  may  possibly  have  that  significance  here. 
Cf.  P.  W.  2.  479,  "  harping  symphonies,"  and  P.  W.  3.  476,  "  the 
whole  symphony."  In  the  mere  sense  of  "  concord,"  cf.  P.  L. 
1.  712  ;  3.  368  ;  5.  162  ;  11.  595  ;  P.  W.  1.  232.  The  line  "  loud 
symphony  of  silver  trumpets  blow  "  appears  in  the  second  draft  of 
the  Solemn  Music  11.  Milton  may  have  discarded  it  partly  because 
the  use  of  "  symphony  "  would  be  technical!}'  inaccurate  as  applied 
to  trumpets,  which,  in  Greek  music,  never  played  any  concord 
except  unison. 


Milton  and  the  Theory  of  Music  65 

Milton's  uses  of  the  more  general  term  "  harmony  " 
are  many  and  various.  At  times  he  seems  almost  to 
personify  "  harmony,"  as  when 

in  their  motions  Harmony  divine 
So  smoothes  her  charming  tones  that  God's  own  ear 
Listens  delighted,1 

or^when  he  speaks  of 

Untwisting  all  the  chains  that  tie 
The  hidden  soul  of  harmony.2 

There  is  in  the  poet's  conception  a  "  secret  power  of 
harmony."  3  It  controls  the  laws  of  Nature  and  the 
universe.  It  alone  can  "  hold  all  Heaven  and  Earth  in 
happier  union."4  Such  harmony  as  this  is  much  more 
than  mere  musical  concord.  It  is  system,  adjustment, 
relationship,  proportion,  considered  as  fundamental  law.5 
Milton's  Hellenized  conception  of  the  theory  of  music 
becomes  still  more  noticeable  in  his  treatment  of  such 
details  as  the  construction  and  relation  of  scales,  and  of  the 
various  keys  or  "  modes."  Greek  music  recognized  three 
genera  of  melody — the  diatonic,  the  chromatic,  and  the 
enharmonic.6  Of  these  the  first  was  by  far  the  most 
useful  and,  in  fact,  the  only  one  which  maintained  a 
permanent  value.     Curiously  enough,  the  only  one  of  the 

1  P.  L.  5.  625-627. 

2  UA.  143-144.  Cf.  his  personification  of  Discord,  P.  L.  2.  967  ; 
10.  707  ;  In  Quint.  Nov.  142,  and  see  Plutarch,  De  Musica,  West- 
phal's  tr.,  p.  54,  in  which  the  comic  poet  Pherecrates  is  quoted  as 
representing  Harmony  as  a  female  figure  abused  by  Timotheus  of 
Miletus,  and  bound  by  him  with  twelve  strings. 

3  P.  E.  4.  254-5.  *  H.  108. 

6  Cf.  also  P.  L.  2.  552  ;  3.  38 ;  4.  687  ;  10.  358 ;  P.  R.  2.  362  ; 
A.  63;  8.  M.  2;  P.  W.  1.  232;  279;  2.  80;  90;  408;  3.  217  ; 
346  ;  476  ;  and  see  Glossary. 

•  Cf.  Macran's  Aristoxenus  1.  19. 


66  Milton  s  Knowledge  of  Music 

classes  specifically  named  by  Milton  is  the  chromatic. 
The  reference  occurs  in  a  variant  reading  in  the  second 
draft  of  the  Solemn  Music,  where  the  poet  speaks  of 

leaving  out  those  harsh  chromatic  jars 
Of  clamorous  sin  that  all  our  music  mars.1 

The  distinctive  feature  of  the  chromatic  genus  was  its 
use  of  quarter  tones.  The  resulting  harmonies  may  well 
have  "  jarred  "  upon  the  simple  combinations  of  the 
diatonic  scale.2 

Even  though  he  may  seem  to  neglect  the  genera,  Milton 
shows  a  thorough  understanding  of  the  ancient  "modes" 
or  keys  of  the  diatonic  scale.  Only  three  are  of  impor- 
tance— the  Dorian,  the  Phrygian,  and  the  Lydian,  corre- 
sponding roughly  to  our  modern  keys  of  E  minor,  D  minor, 
and  C  minor,  respectively.8  Of  these  Milton  obviously 
prefers  the  Dorian,  and  in  this  he  adheres  closely  to  the 
sentiments  of  Plato.4  Plato  will  admit  only  the  Dorian 
and  Phrygian  modes  into  the  music  of  his  Republic.  He 
describes  the  Dorian  mode  as  one  "  which  will  sound  the 
word  or  note  which  a  brave  man  utters  in  the  hour  of 
danger  and  stern  resolve,  or  when  his  cause  is  failing,  and 
he  is  going  to  wounds  or  death,  or  is  overtaken  by  some 
other  evil,  and  at  every  such  crisis  meets  fortune  with 
calmness  and  endurance."  5  Milton,  in  his  account  of  the 
march  of  the  fallen  angels,  gives  a  description  of  the  effects 
of  the  Dorian  mode  which  echoes  in  a  remarkable  fashion 
this  passage  from  Plato. 

1  Cambridge  Facsimile,  p.  5. 

2  Cf.  also  S.  A.  662  ;  S.  M.  20  ;  P.  L.  2.  880  ;  6.  315. 
8  See  Glossary. 

*  Cf.  Elbert  N.  S.  Thompson,  Controversy  between  the  Puritans 
and  the  Stage,  pp.   11  ;  18;  24. 

*  Rep.  3.  399,  tr.  Jowett,  2.  222.     Cf.  Laches  188. 


Milton  and  the  Theory  of  Music  67 

Anon  they  move 
In  perfect  phalanx  to  the  Dorian  mood 
Of  flutes  and  soft  recorders — such  as  raised 
To  highth  of  noblest  temper  heroes  old 
Arming  to  battle,  and  instead  of  rage 
Deliberate  valour  breathed,  firm  and  unmoved 
With  dread  of  death  to  flight  or  foul  retreat  ; 
Nor  wanting  power  to  mitigate  and  swage, 
With  solemn  touches,  troubled  thoughts,  and  chase 
Anguish  and  doubt  and  fear  and  sorrow  and  pain 
From  mortal  or  immortal  minds.1 

Such  a  description  as  this  shows  clearly  that  it  was  not 
so  much  the  structure  of  the  ancient  modes  that  appealed 
to  Milton,  but  rather  the  9)fro?  or  characteristic  emotional 
values  represented  by  them.  The  significance  of  the 
Dorian  mode  is  frequently  emphasized  by  him.  Possibly 
he  has  in  mind  its  primitive  severity  when  he  calls  the 
song  of  the  shepherd  lamenting  the  death  of  Lycidas  a 
"  Doric  lay."  2  It  certainly  enters  into  his  description 
of  "  Aeolian  charms  and  Dorian  lyric  odes,"  3  and  into 
the  satirical  passage  in  the  Areopagitica  in  which  he  says 
that  "no  song  must  be  set  or  sung  but  what  is  grave  and 
Doric."4  Milton's  own  verses  are  praised  by  Sir  Henry 
Wotton  as  possessing  a  certain  "  Doric  delicacy."  6 

Milton  only  once  refers  to  the  Lydian  mode,  for  its 
ffioq  evidently  does  not  please  him.  Plato  describes  it 
as  "  a  soft  or  drinking  harmony,"  not  fit  for  men  of 
character,6  and  it  is  significant  that  Milton's  single  refer- 
ence occurs  in  the  description  of  purely  sensuous  music.7 

1  P.  L.  1.  549-559. 

2  L.  189.  The  chief  reason  for  using  the  term  is,  of  course,  the 
fact  that  Theocritus  wrote  in  the  Doric  dialect. 

3  P.  P.  4.  257.  4  P.   W.  2.  73. 
6  See  the  letter  prefixed  to  Comus. 

6  Rep.  3.  399,  tr.  Jowett,  2.  222.      Cf.  Laches  188. 

7  VA.  135-150. 

e2 


68  Milton's  Knowledge  of  Music 

Aside  from  such  specific  allusions,  there  is  a  suggestion 
of  the  ^B-o?  of  the  Greek  modes  in  such  lines  as  these, 
from  the  Passion  : 

For  now  to  sorrow  must  I  tune  my  song, 
And  set  my  harp  to  notes  of  saddest  woe, 

and 

Me  softer  airs  befit,  and  softer  strings 

Of  lute,  or  viol  still,  more  apt  for  mournful  things.1 

To  Milton,  then,  the  important  feature  of  the  Greek 
modes  was  not  their  pitch,  nor  their  succession  of  intervals, 
but  their  effect  upon  man,  their  power  to  induce  joy  or 
sadness,  heroic  valor  or  effeminate  languor.  It  is  the 
natural  attitude  of  the  poet  towards  music,  accepting 
without  question  that  which  appeals  to  the  ingeniousness 
of  man,  but  dwelling  with  particular  pleasure  upon  that 
which  appeals  to  the  emotions. 

But  Milton's  poetizing  tendency  goes  far  beyond  the 
scientific  details  of  music.  It  makes  of  his  theory  of 
music  a  mysticism  which  is  far  more  important  than  his 
technical  knowledge,  for  here  he  gives  his  imagination  the 
greatest  freedom,  and  impresses  his  own  individuality  most 
distinctly  upon  the  materials  which  are  at  his  command. 
One  might  almost  say  with  truth  that  Milton's  entire 
theory  of  music  is  mystical.  He  recognizes  the  scientific 
aspect  of  music,  it  is  true,  and  he  rejoices  in  the  reality 
of  music  which  is  implied  in  its  highly  mathematical 
nature.  But  the  ultimate  reality  of  it  for  him  lies  far 
beyond  the  world  of  science  and  the  reach  of  human 
understanding.  This  mysticism  is  with  Milton  by  no 
means  a  conventional  matter  derived  from  pagan  mytho- 

1  P.  8-9  ;  27-28.  Cf.  also  L.  87  ;  S.  A.  6G2  ;  and  see  below 
p.  86. 


Milton  and  the  Theory  of  Music  69 

logy,  but  in  its  essence  a  sincere  belief,  amounting  to 
religious  faith.  From  Greek  philosophy  and  mythology 
he  has  gained  the  conception  of  a  divine  origin  of  music, 
of  a  harmony  arising  from  creation  itself,  of  a  system 
of  concords  connecting  Heaven,  Earth,  and  the  Spheres, 
and  running  through  all  Nature.  In  the  Scriptures  he 
finds  hints  of  a  musical  Heaven,  of  choirs  of  angels, 
singing  to  the  accompaniment  of  the  harp.  He  retains 
the  elements  of  both  conceptions  and  combines  them 
into  a  system  of  his  own,  in  which  the  universal  har- 
mony has  as  its  object  the  praise  of  the  Creator,  and  in 
which  the  spheres  join  in  some  mysterious  fashion  with 
Christian  spirits  and  angels  to  produce  a  complete  con- 
cord, inaudible  to  man  until  he  shall  succeed  in  escaping 
from  the  bonds  of  sin.  Such  a  theory  as  this  of  Milton's 
is  rather  poetical  than  purely  philosophical.  His  pur- 
pose is  frankly  not  that  of  critical,  scientific  inquiry, 
but  of  developing  to  their  fullest  extent  the  poetical 
possibilities  of  his  material.  His  conception  transcends 
the  laws  and  limitations  known  to  man.  It  is  meta- 
physical. 

Milton's  conception  of  the  universe  as  musical  presents 
at  times  an  aspect  distinctly  pagan;  at  other  times  it 
seems  completely  Christian.  The  mysticism  common  to 
both  is  the  bond  between  the  two  phases. 

One  of  Milton's  first  public  exercises  at  Cambridge  was 
on  the  subject  of  the  music  of  the  spheres,  showing  how 
early  he  had  laid  hold  upon  a  definite  conception  which 
appeared  again  and  again  in  his  later  poetry.1  In  this 
youthful  essay  the  poet  argued  that  Pythagoras  did  not 
intend  his  "  music  of  the  spheres  "  to  be  taken  literally,  but 
only  as  representing  the  necessary  harmony  in  the  relations 


1  De    Sphaerarum    Concentu.      See  Appendix  IV    and    Masson, 
Life  1.  279. 


70  Milton's  Knowledge  of  Music 

of  the  celestial  orbs  and  their  obedience  to  fixed  law. 
It  was  only  through  the  misrepresentations  of  Aristotle 
that  the  idea  of  an  actual  musical  harmony  arose.  After 
all,  why  should  not  space  be  filled  with  actual  music  ? 
Ancient  mythology  shows  that  such  a  belief  was  universal. 
The  stories  of  Arion,  of  Apollo,  of  the  Muses  dancing  day 
and  night,  from  the  first  beginning  of  things,  around 
Jove's  altars,  all  point  in  the  same  direction.  And  what 
if  no  one  now  living  has  ever  heard  this  starry  sym- 
phony ?  May  it  not  be  merely  because  our  own  ears 
are  not  able  or  worthy  to  hear  the  sounds  ?  If  we,  like 
Pythagoras,  "bore  pure,  chaste,  snow-clean  hearts,"  then 
we  should  undoubtedly  apprehend  this  sweetest  music, 
and  all  things  should  "  return  immediately  as  if  to  that 
golden  age." 

Even  in  this  youthful  exposition  Milton  dwells  upon 
the  ethical  significance  of  the  sphere-music.  The  scienti- 
fic foundation  of  the  theory  troubled  him  little.  From 
his  classical  sources  he  received  various  explanations. 
In  Plato's  Republic  l  he  read  of  that  strange  journey  of 
Er  to  the  other  world,  where  the  structure  of  the 
universe  was  revealed  to  him,  with  the  motions  of  the 
eight  planets  in  their  spheres,  and  the  spindle  turning  on 
the  knees  of  Necessity.  This  account  told  him  also  of 
the  Sirens  sitting  on  the  upper  surfaces  of  the  circles, 
each  one  "  hymning  a  single  sound  and  note."  Thus  a 
ap[j.Gvta  was  formed.  Cicero's  Somnium  Scipionis  gave 
him  a  more  detailed  and  less  allegorical  explanation. 
According  to  it,  the  sounds  were  caused  by  the  "  impulse 
and  motion  of  the  spheres  themselves,"  it  being  "  impos- 
sible that  such  prodigious  movements  should  pass  in 
silence."  Moreover,  these  sounds  were  so  powerful  that 
human  hearing  could  not  comprehend  them,  "  just  as 

1   Rep.   10.  617,  tr.  Jowett,  2.  449. 


Milton  and  the  Theory  of  Music  71 

you  cannot  look  directly  upon  the  sun,  because  your 
sight  and  sense  are  overcome  by  his  beams."1 

In  addition  to  these  classical  sources,  Milton  must  have 
been  familiar  with  the  interpretation  given  by  Boethius,2 
and  with  the  elaborate  diagrams  of  a  universal  music  in 
the  works  of  Robert  Flud  and  of  Morley.3  He  found 
various  references  to  the  sphere-music  in  Chaucer,  Shake- 
speare, Spenser,  and  Sylvester's  Du  Bartas*  Being 
influenced  by  all  these  Milton's  own  conception  is 
necessarily  somewhat  indistinct  and  not  always  con- 
sistent. It  is  important  to  note,  however,  that  he  inter- 
prets the  Greek  (fcppvia  in  its  technical  meaning  of  a 
system  or  a  scale.6  Just  as  the  human  soul,  according 
to  Plato,  is  a  "  harmony,"  so  also  the  universe  in  general 
is  a  system  controlled  by  definite  laws.  Such  being  the 
case,  the  question  of  the  actual  sounds  of  the  spheres, 
their  causes  and  their  effects,  is  really  of  minor  importance. 
Milton,  with  a  poet's  privilege,  deliberately  disregards  the 
possible  arguments  concerning  these  minor  points,  and 
insists  upon  the  universality  and  the  ethical  significance 
of  the  system.  He  accepts  the  allegory  of  the  Sirens,  as 
is  shown  by  the  lines  At  a  Solemn  Music  and  by  the  fine 
passage  in  the  Arcades  which  really  sums  up  his  con- 
ception.6 But  he  finds  the  physical  reason  for  the  music 
in  the  motions  of  the  spheres  themselves.7     Moreover  he 

1  Somnium  Scipionis,  tr.  Edmonds,  p.  295.  Cf.  Macro  bius, 
2.  1-4  ;  Pliny,  Hist.  Nat.  2.  3  ;  and  see  below,  Appendix  V, 
pp.  144-146. 

2  Paul's  ed.  1.  27.     Cf.  Nichomachus,  ed.  Meibom,  lib.  2,  p.  33. 

•  Flud's  diagram  is  given  in  Hawkins  4.  169  ff.  Cf.  Morley, 
p.  228,  and  see  below.  App.  V,  p.  149. 

•  Parliament  of  Fouls  60  ff.  ;  Merchant  of  Venice  V.  sc.  i  ; 
Hymn  to  Beauty  197-200  ;  Du  Bartas  2.  2.  4.  718-727. 

5  See  above,  p.  63. 

•  8.  M.  2 ;   A.  63  ff.     See  Appendix  V,  p.  144. 

7  Cf.  P.  L.  3.  482  ;  580;  5.  177;  7.  500;  8.   19;  125. 


72  Miltoris  Knowledge  of  Music 

gives  to  the  earth  a  species  of  motion  which  must  cer- 
tainly be  productive  of  sound.1  This  earthly  music  was 
once  "  in  tune  with  Heaven  "  and  formed  a  part  of  the 
great  system  or  harmony,  but  sin  caused  a  discord,  after 
which  all  Nature  was  disturbed  and  it  became  im- 
possible for  man  to  hear  the  heavenly  music.2  This 
consists  not  only  of  the  universal  sphere-harmony,  but 
of  the  actual  songs  and  instrumental  symphonies  of 
the  celestial  beings  as  well.  In  order  to  have  any  part 
in  this  universal  music  man  must  purify  his  heart  and 
become  sinless  once  more,  in  other  words,  recover  that 
innocence  the  loss  of  which  created  the  disturbance 
described  in  P.  L.  10.  650  ff.  The  decidedly  Christian 
aspect  thus  given  to  the  pagan  myth  is  the  mark  of 
Milton's  own  individuality.3  He  finds  a  conception  of 
universal  harmony,  allegorically  stated,  possibly  resting 
on  a  scientific  foundation.  For  some  reason  the  music 
is  inaudible  to  human  ears.  Various  explanations  are 
suggested,  most  of  them  hinting  vaguely  at  the  grossness 
of  mankind,  unable  to  appreciate  divine  things.  Milton 
however,  makes  the  conception  very  definite.  Before  sin 
entered  into  the  world,  he  says,  man  was  able  to  hear  the 
heavenly  music.4  Even  now  a  man  may  hope  to  attain 
to  some  degree  of  apperception  and  appreciation  by  ridd- 
ing himself  of  the  fetters  of  sin.  And  when  he  once 
leaves  this  world  and  joins  the  heavenly  choirs,  he 
becomes  again  a  part  of  the  universal  music  and  finds 
therein  complete  harmony.    The  passages  in  which  Milton 

1  Cf.  P.  L.  8.  130  ;  A.  71.  2  Cf.  P.  L.  10.  650  ff. 

8  He  was  probably  influenced  in  this  by  the  Neo-Platonism  of 
Plotinus,  and  of  the  Italians,  Ficino,  Pico  della  Mirandola,  and 
others.  See  the  general  discussion  of  the  subject  in  Harrison's 
Platonism  in  English  Poetry  167-221. 

4  In  his  essay,  De  Sphaerarum  Concentu,  he  speaks  of  this  golden 
age  as  occurring  before  Prometheus  stole  the  divine  fire.  See 
Appendix  IV,  p.  135,  1.   12. 


Milton  and  the  Theory  of  Music  73 

illustrates  this  conception  are  numerous.  At  times  the 
scientific  facts  of  contemporary  astronomy  conflict  with 
his  theory.  He  is  forced  to  admit  that  the  sun,  not  the 
earth,  is  the  centre  of  our  universe.1  But  this  does  not 
affect  the  music  of  the  spheres,  which  is  caused,  as  in  the 
Greek  conception,  by  the  motions  themselves.  The  origin 
of  these  motions  is  explained  by  the  fact  that 

the  great  First  Mover's  hand 
First  wheeled  their  course.2 

The  figure  of  a  dance  is  a  popular  one  with  Milton  to 
describe  such  motions.3  The  inaudibility  of  the  sphere- 
music  is  reasserted  in  various  ways.  Besides  the  passage 
in  the  Arcades,  which  speaks  of  the 

heavenly  tune,  which  none  can  hear 
Of  human  mould  with  gross  unpurged  ear,4 

we  have  an  interesting  account  in  the  Nativity  Hymn  in 
which  the  spheres  are  called  upon  to  "  bless  our  human 
ears,"  if  they  "  have  power  to  touch  our  senses  so."  5 
The  Apology  for  Smectymnuus  contains  a  reference  to 
the  "  celestial  songs  to  others  inapprehensible."  6  The 
Elder  Brother's  Platonic  description  of  the  soul  in  Comus 
refers  to  the  heavenly  "  things  that  no  gross  ear  can  hear  " 
— undoubtedly  a  suggestion  of  the  sphere-music.7 

That  the  inability  of  man  to  hear  the  celestial  music  is 
due  to  the  intervention  of  sin  is  shown  most  clearly  in  the 
lines   At   a   Solemn  Music  17—18.     The  Heaven   there 

1  Cf.  P.  L.  3.  581  ;  8.  122  ff.  2  P.  L.  7.  500-501. 

8  Cf.  P.  L.  5.  177-178  ;  7.  374  ;  9.  103.  See  also  above, 
pp.  43-45. 

*  A.  72-73.  6  H.  126-127. 

•  P.   W.  3.  122.    Cf.  Rev.  14.  3. 

7  C.  458.     Cf.  also  C.  997  ;  P.  L.  3.  193 ;  8.  49. 


74  Milton  s  Knowledge  of  Music 

described  is  not  the  Coelum  stellatum  of  the  sphere-myth, 
but  a  Christianized  Heaven  as  the  dwelling-place  of 
God.  The  use  of  the  word  "  diapason  "  would  seem  to 
indicate  that  the  sound  of  the  earthly  music  is  exactly  an 
octave  below  that  of  Heaven.1  If  this  is  the  case,  a 
systematic  scale  of  tones  represented  by  the  spheres  can 
not  be  consistently  applied.2  To  Milton,  however,  the 
important  point  here  is  not  so  much  the  completeness 
of  the  system  as  the  perfect  concord  of  the  octave.  The 
manner  in  which  the  earthly  music  corresponded  to  that 
of  Heaven  is  well  illustrated  by  the  morning  song  of 
Adam  and  Eve,  in  innocence,  who  lacked  neither  "  various 
style,"  nor  "holy  rapture," 

to  praise 
Their  Maker,  in  fit  strains  pronounced,  or  sung 
Unmeditated  ;  such  prompt  eloquence 
Flowed  from  their  lips,  in  prose  or  numerous  verse, 
More  tuneable  than  needed  lute  or  harp 
To  add  more  sweetness.3 

This  pure  music  of  the  golden  age  was  sung  by  a  uni- 
versal choir  at  the  birth  of  the  Savior  : 

Such  music  (as  'tis  said) 

Before  was  never  made, 

But  when  of  old  the  Sons  of  Morning  sung, 

While  the  Creator  great 

His  constellations  set, 

And  the  well-balanced  world  on  hinges  hung.4 

It  is  possible,  however,  that  this  earth  may  once  again 
be  made  worthy  of  hearing  the  heavenly  music. 

1  Cf.  S.  M.  23  ;  ^4.  70-72. 

2  Cf.  Kircher,  Mus.  Univ.  10.  2,  in   which  such  a  scheme  is  at- 
tempted. 

8  P.  L.  5.  147-152. 

4  H.   117-122.      Cf.  the  account  of  the  of  the  music  of   "the 
Sons  of  Morning,"  P.  L.  7.  253  ff.  ;  275  ;  594  ff. 


Milton  and  the  Theory  of  Music  75 

For,  if  such  holy  song 

Enwrap  our  fancy  long, 

Time  will  run  back  and  fetch  the  Age  of  Gold.1 

At  the  close  of  the  Comus  a  hint  is  given  that,  by 
means  of  Virtue,  the  sphere-music  may  become  audible 
to  human  ears. 

She  can  teach  ye  how  to  climb 
Higher  than  the  sphery  chime  ; 
Or,  if  Virtue  feeble  were, 
Heaven  itself  would  stoop  to  her.2 

When  Milton  describes  the  music  of  the  angel  choirs 
his  conception  loses  all  its  vagueness  and  becomes  decidedly 
concrete.  Christianity  supplies  him  not  with  abstractions, 
but  with  most  realistic  images.  There  is  an  actual  music 
of  Heaven  in  which  voices  and  instruments  alike  join.  It 
is  accompanied  by  the  sounds  of  the  universe,  resulting 
in  one  great  orchestral  harmony  in  praise  of  the  Creator.8 
On  the  day  of  rest, 

not  in  silence  holy  kept  :  the  harp 
Had  work  and  rested  not  ;  the  solemn  pipe 
And  dulcimer,  all  organs  of  sweet  stop, 
All  sounds  on  fret  by  string  or  golden  wire, 
Tempered  soft  tunings,  intermixed  with  voice 
Choral  or  unison.4 

The  celestial  music  is  variously  described  as 

the  innumerable  sound 
Of  hymns  and  sacred  songs,5 

1  H.  133-135.  2  C.  1020-1023.     Cf.   U.  C.  2.  5. 

8  See  Appendix  V,  p.  149. 

*  P.  L.  7.  594-599.  Cf.  the  purely  pagan  Heaven  of  the  Epit- 
aphium  Damonis  215-219,  and  that  of  the  corresponding  part  of 
Lycidas,  179-180. 

5  P.  L.  3.   147-148. 


76  Milton  s  Knowledge  of  Music 

and  as 

Loud  as  from  numbers  without  number,  sweet 
As  from  blest  voices,  uttering  joy.1 


The  emphasis  placed  on  the  lack  of  "  number  "  or  system 
suggests  that  the  heavenly  music  is  unrestrained  by  any 
of  the  limitations  known  to  man — wrhich  would  explain 
also  Milton's  indifference  to  a  systematic  arrangement  of 
the  sounds  of  the  spheres,  such  as  that  given  by  Plato 
and  others. 

But  the  most  vivid  description  of  the  celestial  music 
occurs  in  the  Nativity  Hymn.  Here  the  theme  is  first 
announced  by  the  angel  choirs : 

Divinely-warbled  voice 

Answering  the  stringed  noise, 

As  all  their  souls  in  blissful  rapture  took  : 

The  air,  such  pleasure  loth  to  lose, 

With  thousand  echoes  still  prolongs  each  heavenly  close.2 

Nature  recognizes  the  import  of  the  music. 

She  knew  such  harmony  alone 

Could  hold  all  Heaven  and  Earth  in  happier  union.3 

Finally  the  entire  universe  is  compelled  to  join  in  the 
music  : 

Ring  out,  ye  crystal  spheres! 

Once  bless  our  human  ears, 

If  ye  have  power  to  touch  our  senses  so; 

And  let  your  silver  chime 

Move  in  melodious  time, 

And  let  the  bass  of  Heaven's  deep  organ  blow  ; 

And  with  your  ninefold  harmony 

Make  up  full  consort  to  the  angelic  symphony.4 

1  P.  L.  3.  346-347.  *  H.  96-100.  8  H.  107-108. 

*  H.  125-132.  For  other  references  to  the  celestial  music  see 
below,  App.  I. 


Milton  and  the  Theory  of  Music  77 

Milton's  universal  harmony  is  otherwise  manifested 
than  by  the  spheres  and  the  heavenly  choirs.  All  Na- 
ture is  full  of  sounds  which  combine  naturally  to  pro- 
duce music.1  As  the  descriptions  of  this  earthly  music 
of  Nature  occur  chiefly  in  the  Paradise  Lost,  when  sin 
had  as  yet  caused  no  jarring  discord,  it  may  be  assumed 
to  be  a  part  of  the  universal  harmony.  It  has  the  same 
characteristics  as  the  heavenly  music — instinctively  con- 
cordant, yet  untrammeled  by  the  fetters  of  proportion 
or  numbers.     This  is  made  clear  by  the  description: 

Nature  here 
Wantoned  as  in  her  prime,  and  played  at  will 
Her  virgin  fancies,  pouring  forth  more  sweet, 
Wild  above  rule  or  art,  enormous  bliss.2 

The  conception  cannot  be  other  than  musical,  and  the 
"  fancies  "  may  well  be  taken  technically  in  the  sense 
of  the  instrumental  "  fantasies  "  (or  "  fancies  ")  of  Mil- 
ton's own  time,  as  well  as  in  its  general  meaning. 

The  completeness  of  the  universal  harmony  is  nowhere 
made  more  clear  than  in  the  majestic  lines  which  represent 
the  orisons  of  Adam  and  Eve.  All  the  parts  of  the  uni- 
verse are  there  called  upon  in  turn  to  glorify  the  Creator. 
First  of  all  the  angels,  who 

with  songs 
And  choral  symphonies,  day  without  night, 
Circle  his  throne  rejoicing.3 

Next  come  the  Sun  and  Moon,  and  then  the 

five  other  wandering  Fires,  that  move 
In  mystic  dance,  not  without  song.4 

1  See  Appendix  V,  pp.  148-149,  for  possible  sources  of  Milton's 
descriptions. 

*  P.  L.  5.  294-297.  3  P.  L.  5.  161-163.        *  P.  L.  5.  177-178. 


78  Milton  s  Knowledge  of  Music 

The  music  descends  gradually  towards  the  earth. 

Air,  and  ye  Elements,  the  eldest  birth 

Of  Nature's  womb,  that  in  quaternion  run 

Perpetual  circle,  multiform,  and  mix 

And  nourish  all  things,  let  your  ceaseless  change 

Vary  to  our  great  Maker  still  new  praise.1 

Finally,  after  the  "  mists  and  exhalations,"  the  clouds 
and  the  showers  have  been  summoned,  the  various  voices 
of  Nature  on  earth  are  called  to  join  in  the  music  : 

His  praise,  ye  Winds,  that  from  four  quarters  blow, 

Breathe  soft  or  loud  ;  and  wave  your  tops,  ye  Pines, 

With  every  plant,  in  sign  of  worship  wave. 

Fountains,  and  ye  that  warble,  as  ye  flow, 

Melodious  murmurs,  warbling  tune  his  praise. 

Join  voices,  all  ye  living  Souls  ;  ye  Birds, 

That  singing  up  to  Heaven-gate  ascend, 

Bear  on  your  wings  and  in  your  notes  his  praise. 

Ye  that  in  waters  glide,  and  ye  that  walk 

The  earth,  and  stately  tread,  or  lowly  creep, 

Witness  if  I  be  silent,  morn  or  even, 

To  hill  or  valley,  fountain,  or  fresh  shade, 

Made  vocal  by  my  song,  and  taught  his  praise.2 

To  Milton  every  thing  in  Nature  is  capable  of  sound. 

Airs,  vernal  airs, 
Breathing  the  smell  of  field  and  grove,  attune 
The  trembling  leaves.3 

Brooks  "  warble  "  as  they  flow.4  Streams  "  murmur  ".6 
The  sounds  and  seas   "  in  wavering  morrice  move."  • 

1  P.  L.  5.  180-184. 

2  P.  L.  5.  192-204.  A  similar  sense  of  the  music  in  Nature  is 
reflected  by  Spenser  in  F.  Q.  2.  12.  33  ;  70-71  ;  Tasso,  O.L.  15.  56. 
56;  16.  12. 

8  P.  L.  4.  264-266. 

«  P.  L.  3.  31.         *  P.  L.  4.  260  ;  453  ;  7.  68  ;  8.  263.         •  C.  116. 


Milton  and  the  Theory  of  Music  79 

The  trees  arise  "  as  in  dance  ".*  At  the  first  discord  of 
sin,  "  Nature,  .  .  .  sighing  through  all  her  works  gave  signs 
of  woe,  that  all  was  lost  ".2 

The  song  of  the  birds  is  naturally  a  part  of  the  music 
of  Nature. 

Sweet  is  the  breath  of  Morn,  her  rising  sweet, 
With  charm  of  earliest  birds.3 

From  branch  to  branch  the  smaller  birds  with  song 
Solaced  the  woods,  and  spread  their  painted  wings, 
Till  even  ;  nor  then  the  solemn  nightingale 
Ceased  warbling,  but  all  night  tuned  her  soft  lays.4 

There  is  a  reality  in  all  this  natural  harmony.  It  is 
not  merely  figurative.  To  the  blind  Milton,  at  the  time 
of  writing  the  largest  part  of  Paradise  Lost,  all  external 
appearances  are  blotted  out.  Sounds  only  remain.  The 
only  harmony  which  he  can  possibly  find  in  his  universe 
is  a  musical  harmony.  If  it  seems  imperfect  at  present, 
the  time  will  surely  come  when  it  will  be  perfected. 

This  mystical  faith  is  the  foundation  of  Milton's  entire 
theory  of  music.  Without  it  his  system  would  possess 
little  more  than  a  technical  interest.  Regarded  simply 
as  a  musician,  Milton  might  well  be  commended  for  his 
scientific  accuracy  in  details  and  for  his  thorough  know- 
ledge of  the  fundamental  laws  of  musical  theory.  At  the 
same  time  he  would  necessarily  be  severely  criticized  for 
attempting  to  extend  the  bounds  of  scientific  music,  for 
making  free  use  of  his  imagination  where  actual  experience 
failed  him.  As  a  poet,  however,  Milton  carries  conviction  by 
those  very  qualities  which,  from  the  standpoint  of  the  rau- 

1  P.  L.  7.  324. 

2  P.  L.  9.  783-784.     Cf.  P.  L.  9.  1001-1003  ;  2.  714  ff. 
8  P.  L.  4.  641-642. 

4  P.  L.  7.  433-436.  Cf.  also  P.  L.  2.  494  ;  4.  603  ;  771  ;  5.  6  ff.; 
16:  40;  394-395;  7.  443;  9.  198-199;  800;  846. 


80  Milton's  Knowledge  of  Music 

sician,  would  be  considered  a  superfluity  or  even  a  handicap. 
It  is  a  proof  of  his  greatness  that  no  sharp  line  of  division 
can  be  drawn  between  his  ideas  of  music  and  of  poetry, 
just  as  it  is  the  proof  of  the  greatness  of  a  philosopher 
that  no  barrier  need  separate  his  ideas  of  science  from 
those  of  his  religion.  A  noble,  Christian  soul,  imbued 
with  the  spirit  of  poetry,  cannot  possibly  isolate  one  of 
the  fine  arts  from  his  inner  life,  and  make  it  the  object 
of  mere  reflective  consciousness.  He  must  either  overlook 
it  entirely,  or  make  it  a  definite  part  of  his  own  existence. 
Thus  Milton's  theory  of  music  is  really  only  a  part  in  his 
theory  of  the  universe.  His  experience  teaches  him  that 
the  laws  of  harmony  are  in  some  mysterious  way  the 
expressions  of  ultimate  reality.  If  only  they  are  carried 
far  enough  they  will  be  found  to  possess  universal  validity. 
His  philosophical  instincts  once  satisfied,  Milton  proceeds 
as  a  Christian,  throwing  over  his  whole  conception  the 
poetic  glamor  which  the  Scriptural  allegories  themselves 
justify.  With  God  as  the  central  controlling  source, 
the  infallibility  of  his  system  need  not  be  questioned. 
It  is  above  and  beyond  all  laws  known  to  man.  God  has 
created  the  universe  in  a  secret  harmony  of  which  we 
have  but  an  inkling  in  the  laws  of  mathematics  and  of 
music — a  harmony  which  pervades  not  only  the  heavens 
and  the  celestial  choirs,  but  the  planets  in  their  spheres, 
the  elements,  and  even  all  Nature  and  the  creatures  of 
earth.  Such  is  the  mystic  sublimity  of  the  conception 
to  which  Milton  is  brought  by  his  theory  of  music. 


THE  SIGNIFICANCE  OF  MILTON'S  KNOWLEDGE 
OF  MUSIC 

A  mere  record  of  facts,  statistics,  and  observations 
regarding  Milton's  knowledge  of  music  is  of  little  value 
except  as  it  adds  to  our  knowledge  of  the  mental  and 
spiritual  life  of  the  poet.  How  slight,  after  all,  is  our 
acquaintance  with  the  inner  workings  of  a  soul  such  as 
that  which  we  call  Milton  !  How  futile  would  be  any 
attempts  to  systematize  accurately  his  manner  of  thought ! 
Our  information  concerning  him  is  necessarily  limited  to 
two  sources — his  biographers,  whose  testimony  is  not 
always  unimpeachable,  and  his  own  writings,  which  are 
too  often  open  to  a  variety  of  interpretations.  Whatever 
is  not  directly  and  definitely  imparted  to  us  from 
these  sources  must  be  sought  out  by  laborious  analysis 
and  painstaking  comparisons.  In  this  study  of  Milton's 
knowledge  of  music,  therefore,  the  final  aim  must  be 
not  to  draw  up  a  table  of  statistics,  but  to  show  how  these 
accumulated  details  may  increase  our  knowledge  of  the 
spirit  of  the  man  Milton. 

The  first  question  to  be  considered  is  that  of  the  rela- 
tion of  Milton  to  his  time.  How,  as  illustrated  by  his 
interest  in  music,  did  Milton's  mind  compare  with  the 
minds  of  his  contemporaries  ?  It  would  be  a  mistake 
not  to  regard  him  as  the  natural  product  of  his  time. 
He  was  not  an  exception,  a  unique  prodigy,  living  apart 
from  his  environment,  and  having  no  share  in  its  in- 
tellectual life.  The  influences  which  affected  him  were 
the  same  as  those  which  affected  other  poets  and  other 
musicians.  The  difference  between  Milton  and  his  con- 
temporaries lay   not   in  the  materials  which  presented 

f 


82  Milton  s  Knowledge  of  Music 

themselves  to  him,  but  in  the  way  in  which  these  materials 
were  utilized — in  other  words,  in  his  mental  habits  them- 
selves. Milton  differed  from  most  other  men  of  his 
generation  in  that  he  was  a  thinking  man.  The  Cavalier 
was  not  conspicuously  intellectual.  And,  though  the 
Puritans  really  claimed  the  right  of  private  judgment, 
yet  even  the  most  independent  of  them  were  so  possessed 
of  a  single  idea  that  their  thought  was  stunted  into  bigotry. 
But  Milton  thought  always.  The  breadth  and  depth  of 
his  mind  are  nowhere  better  shown  than  in  his  treatment 
of  music.  The  materials  at  his  command  were  here  the 
same  as  those  used  by  any  other  musician  of  his  time  ; 
but  how  completely  they  were  transformed  by  his  powers 
of  thought  !  The  dependence  on  the  classical  writers 
on  theory,  for  instance,  was  common  to  most  scholarly 
musicians  of  the  seventeenth  century.  Even  though 
little  understood,  the  Greek  music  was  still  considered 
the  basis  of  all  systems  of  harmony.  But,  while  to  its 
originators  the  Greek  theory  really  meant  something,  its 
principles  had  become,  to  the  minds  of  the  seventeenth 
century,  mere  lifeless  formulas.  Milton  approached 
Greek  music  in  a  different  spirit.  To  him,  as  a  lover 
of  the  classics  as  well  as  of  music,  these  ancient  theories 
had  reality  and  life.  They  were  parts  of  a  great  philo- 
sophy, a  great  system  of  thought.  They  showed  how 
the  experience  of  the  universe  affected  their  originators. 
This  universe  was  still  the  same  ;  his  own  experience  was 
similar  to  theirs  ;  the  laws  laid  down  in  ancient  times  had 
proved  constant.  What  wonder,  then,  that  Milton  should 
have  appropriated  and  expressed  the  Greek  theory  in 
all  its  pristine  purity  ?  To  him  human  thought  was  one 
continuous  process,  dealing  with  one  continuous  problem. 
Even  nowadays  we  are  too  much  inclined  to  conceive  of  a 
distinct  break  somewhere  between  the  past  and  the  pre- 
sent.    We  are  apt  to  think  of  ancient  art,  ancient  music, 


The  Significance  of  Milton's  Knowledge  of  Music       83 

ancient  literature  as  incompatible  with  our  own  civili- 
zation. To  Milton  there  was  no  such  break.  He  iden- 
tified himself  with  antiquity  as  truly  and  as  completely 
as  with  his  own  time.  His  debt  to  the  classics  is  there- 
fore wellnigh  immeasurable.  From  them  he  derives 
his  philosophical  attitude  towards  music,  his  respect  for 
its  laws,  his  reverence  for  its  mystical  attributes.  What 
in  an  ordinary  mind  would  import  a  mere  scholarly 
interest  is  with  Milton  a  deep  feeling,  a  firmly-grounded 
faith,  inherent  in  his  spiritual  life. 

But  he  owes  much  also  to  contemporary  music  and 
musicians,  both  English  and  Italian.  From  the  latter,  in 
particular,  he  learns  the  practical  possibilities  of  the  art. 
He  studies  the  best  compositions,  hears  the  best  perfor- 
mers on  various  instruments,  himself  acquires  the  ability 
to  express  his  own  thoughts  through  the  medium  of  voice 
or  instrument.  He  sees  the  real  manifested  in  the  empiri- 
cal. By  direct  contact  with  music  as  thus  revealed  to 
him,  his  poetical  imagination  is  inspired.  The  indi- 
viduality of  an  instrument  becomes  to  his  fancy  an  actual 
personality.  The  human  voice  becomes  a  manifestation 
of  divine  spirit.  But  it  is  on  its  technical  side  that  con- 
temporary music  influences  Milton  most  decidedly.  The 
most  striking  point  concerning  his  references  to  music, 
and  one  which  has  always  been  noted  by  commentators, 
is  his  unfailing  technical  accuracy.  Whether  it  be  a 
matter  of  the  art  or  the  theory  of  music,  whether  it  has 
to  do  with  voice  or  instrument,  performance  or  com- 
position, Milton's  allusion  is  always  technically  and  min- 
utely correct.  As  a  result,  his  musical  metaphors  possess 
a  strength  and  a  consistency  which  the  casual  reader 
often  fails  to  appreciate.  This  technical  accuracy  Milton 
owes  to  his  very  thorough  knowledge  of  contemporary 
music,  acquired  not  only  through  the  teaching  of  his 

f  2 


84  Milton  s  Knowledge  of  Music 

father,  but  through  constant  practice  and  intercourse 
with  skilled  musicians  as  well. 

The  important  influence  thus  exerted  by  the  art  of 
music  throughout  his  life  resulted  in  an  idealization  of 
harmony  in  his  mind.  The  prevalence  throughout  the 
universe  of  an  actual  musical  harmony  constantly  sug- 
gested to  him  the  possibility  of  a  general,  spiritual  har- 
mony within  himself  and  among  men.  It  was  an  ideal 
never  realized  by  the  poet  on  earth,  for  his  own  life 
was  one  peculiarly  lacking  in  harmony.  In  his  university 
days  he  was  secluded  and  often  discontented,  mis- 
understood by  his  fellows,  possibly  also  misjudged  by 
his  masters.  Later  he  fell  out  with  the  church  and 
fought  to  unseat  the  bishops.  His  domestic  troubles 
were  notorious.  His  divorce  pamphlets  involved  him 
in  public  controversies.  He  was  continually  buffeted 
by  jarring  political  factions.  He  strove  to  defend  free 
speech  against  Presbyterian  oppression,  and  again  to 
vindicate  the  cause  of  English  freedom  in  the  face  of  all 
Europe.  His  theology  was  a  subject  of  dispute  with 
others  and  even  within  himself.  After  losing  his  eyesight 
in  the  service  of  his  country  he  was  doomed  to  endure 
the  downfall  of  his  cause,  and  in  the  triumph  of  his 
enemies  barely  escaped  with  his  life.  In  spite  of  such 
discords  his  ideal  of  harmony  remained  constant. 

What  light,  then,  does  Milton's  love  of  music,  admitting 
its  importance  in  his  life,  throw  upon  his  character  as  a 
whole  ?  It  reveals  him  first  as  a  philosopher,  second  as 
a  poet,  and  finally  as  a  Christian.  Each  of  these  phases 
of  his  character  must  be  considered  in  turn. 

His  philosophy,  in  the  first  place,  enables  him  to  find 
ultimate  reality  in  music.  It  induces  in  him  a  love  of  the 
mathematical,  of  the  scientifically  accurate.  His  know- 
ledge of  mathematics  and  of  the  mathematical  properties 
of  music  leads  him  to  suppose  that  their  underlying  laws 


The  Significance  of  Milton's  Knowledge  of  Music      85 

are  universally  valid.  This  Platonic  idea  is  the  real 
basis  of  his  conception  of  music.  Such  an  idea  actually 
implies  a  metaphysical  system  and  is  essentially  mysti- 
cal. In  a  nature  like  Milton's,  however,  the  philosophi- 
cal ideas  cannot  well  be  separated  from  the  poetical. 
The  two  must  be  studied  together. 

Milton's  philosophy,  even  though  it  may  be  the  foun- 
dation of  his  musical  interest,  is  speedily  subordinated  to 
his  poetry.  His  imagination  is  stronger  than  his  reason. 
This  conquest,  however,  is  by  no  means  involuntary,  but 
quite  deliberate.  Milton's  mind  is  not  incapable  of  ab- 
stract reasoning.  He  prefers,  however,  to  give  free  rein 
to  his  poetizing  tendency.  Milton,  the  poet,  is  constantly 
reflected  in  his  treatment  of  music.  On  the  side  of  the 
art  of  music  his  poetical  nature  manifests  itself  in  his 
attitude  towards  musical  instruments,  which  he  invests 
with  individual  personalities  and  consistency  of  character. 
His  conception  of  the  voice  also  is  poetical.  It  is  to 
him  the  direct  manifestation  of  the  human  soul,  of  some 
divine  agency  hidden  in  the  body  or  the  mind.  Song  is 
essentially  the  same  as  poetry.  For  written  poetry  is 
unnatural  and  a  late  development  of  civilization.  Primar- 
ily, poetry  is  vocal  in  character.  As  poetry  is  song,  and, 
as  song  is  the  expression  of  the  soul  and  hence  of  God, 
the  poet  really  expresses  the  divine  in  Nature.  On  the 
side  of  the  theory  of  music,  Milton's  poetizing  tendency 
is  even  more  marked.  He  attempts  to  express  with  con- 
crete images  that  abstract  universal  reality  which  has 
been  suggested  to  him  by  the  Greek  philosophy  of  music. 
He  adopts  the  allegory  of  the  spheres.  He  gives  to  each 
part  of  Nature  its  concrete  and  audible  sounds.  It  is  the 
poetry  and  the  philosophy  of  such  a  conception  that 
appeals  to  him. 

The  ethical  value  of  music  is  also  of  supreme  interest 
to  the  poet.     The  Greek  notion  of  the  ^b-oc  of  the  modes 


Milton's  Knowledge  of  Music 

r.tinually  reiterated  by  him.  He  is  not  concerned 
so  much  with  the  abstract  qualities  of  music  as  with  its 
definite,  con  Beet  on  man.  its  power  to  produce 

r  sadness,  to  inspire  heroic  valor,  or  to  induce  effem- 
inate languor.  It  is  true  that  the  ethical  in  music 
belongs  to  philosophy  rather  than  to  poem-.  In  Milton's 
case,  however,  the  r5»c;  appeals  more  to  his  imagination 
than  to  his  reason.  As  a  philosopher  he  would  be  con- 
cerned primarily  with  the  cause  of  the  ?,5-s;,  and  would 
attempt  to  formulate  its  laws  in  the  abstract.  As  a  poet, 
however,  he  is  interested  chiefly  in  the  effect.  He  accepts 
the  practical  manifestations  of  music  as  he  finds  them. 
From  his  own  actual  experience  and  the  records  of  his- 
tory and  mythology  his  imagination  is  supplied  with 
unlimited  material. 

But  there  are  other  and  more  particular  ways  in  which 
Milton,  the  poet,  makes  use  of  his  knowledge  of  music. 
The  most  noticeable  affects  his  attitude  towards  language 
as  such.  Milton's  control  of  English  requires  no  com- 
ment. He  plays  with  words  and  manipulates  them 
with  the  dexterity  of  a  linguistic  master.  His  classical 
training  enables  him  to  view  a  word  in  all  its  shades 
of  meaning,  its  etymological  significance,  its  life  as 
part  of  a  living  language.1  His  use  of  a  word  often 
shows  that  he  has  several  meanings  in  mind.  In  some 
cases  he  practically  descends  to  deliberate  punning. 
He  is  fond  at  all  times  of  metaphorical  conceits.  These 
tricks  of  language  are  particularly  noticeable  when  Milton 
is  dealing  with  musical  terms.  Often  he  uses  a  word 
which  has  acquired  a  general  meaning,  but  originally 
possessed  a  musical  significance.     In  such  cases  one  can 

:'.  Hegel's  use  of  such  a  word  as  "  aofheben,''  which  contains 
at  the  same  time  three  separate  meanings  —to  destroy  a  thing  in 
ha  original  form,  to  restore  it  in  another  form,  and  to  elevate  it 
upon  a  higher  plane. 


The  Significance  of  Milton's  Knowledge  of  Music       87 

actually  see  in  his  repeated  use  of  the  word  a  shading 
off,  as  it  were,  from  the  technical  to  the  general  meaning. 
When  the  direct  musical  application  is  impossible,  the 
original  significance  still  seems  to  haunt  him.  The  psycho- 
logical effect  of  such  a  word  on  Milton  is  easily  traceable. 
A  good  example  is  the  term  "  noise."  In  a  strictly  musi- 
cal sense  it  means  an  instrumental  or  vocal  band,  or  its 
music,  with  the  added  connotation  of  a  certain  amount  of 
complexity.  With  this  definite  musical  significance 
Milton  uses  it  when  he  speaks  of  the  "  stringed  noise  "  * 
of  the  heavenly  choirs,  and  of  "  that  melodious  noise  " 
in  the  Solemn  Music.1  The  musical  connotation  is  still 
prominent  when  he  speaks  of  the  nightingale  that  shuns 
"  the  noise  of  folly,"  *  and  of  the  "  noise  of  drums  and 
. .-  "4  The  rr.usi:  implied  ir.  :he  :enr.  f7a.iv.adly  dis- 
appears, but  the  connotation  of  complexity  develops  into 
that  of  confusion.  This  is  the  significance  which  Milton  is 
most  fond  of  employing.  He  speaks  of  the  "  noise  of 
riot,"  5  "  noise,  other  then  the  sound  of  dance  or  song/'  * 
"  the  noise  of  endless  wars,"  7  "  the  noise  of  conflic: 
"  infernal  noise,"  •  "  a  jangling  noise  of  words," 1§  and 
he  puns  upon  the  meaning  when,  in  Samson  AgonisUs, 
the  question,  "What  noise,  mercy  of  Heaven,  what 
hideous  noise  was  that  ?  "  is  answered  with  the  counter- 
question,  "Noise  call  you  it,  or  universal  groan"  ?u  It 
is  not  a  confusion  of  sounds,  in  other  words,  but  has  the 
effect,  rather,  of  a  unison  A  striking  passage,  making 
clear  this  sense  of  confusion,  is  the  following  : 

A:   lenrih   '=■  urdversil   r.u: ':.::    ->"J.i 

Of  stunning  sounds  and  voices  all  confused, 

Borne  through  the  hollow  dark  assaults  his  ear 

1  H.  97.  *  S.  M.  IS.  *  //  P.  61.  4  P.  L.  1.  394. 

5  P.  L.  1.  498.       •  P.L.  8.  243.       "  P.  L.  2.  896.       ■  P.  L.  I   - 

»  P.  L.  6.   :    "  :  .   L.    12.  A.  1508-1511. 


88  Milton's  Knowledge  of  Music 

With  loudest  vehemence  ;  thither  he  plies 
Undaunted,  to  meet  there  whatever  power 
Or  spirit  of  the  nethermost  abyss 
Might  in  that  noise  reside.1 

The  term  then  develops  the  meaning  of  mere  sound,  while 
the  connotation  of  loudness  is  a  comparatively  late 
addition.2 

Even  more  interesting  as  illustrating  such  shades  of 
meaning  is  Milton's  use  of  the  word  "  charm."  In  a  musi- 
cal sense  it  means  to  him  merely  "  song,"  or  as  a  verb, 
"  to  sing,"  being  derived  as  he  believes,  directly  from  La- 
tin carmen.  Milton's  etymology  is  not  correct  in  this  case. 
Strictly  speaking  "  charm  "  is  not  a  direct  descendant 
of  carmen  but  a  dialect  variant  of  "  cherme,"  which  is  a 
common  16th  century  form  of  "  chirm."  As  such  it  is 
used  in  its  primitive  sense  only  in  reference  to  the  song 
of  a  choir  of  birds.  Milton  uses  it  thus  when  he  speaks 
of  the  "  charm  of  earliest  birds."  3  Whether  correct  or 
not,  etymologically,  Milton's  development  of  "  charm  " 
is  extremely  interesting.  He  is  the  only  writer  cited  in 
N.E.D.  to  give  it  the  general  meaning  of  "  song  "  or 
"  melody."  He  uses  it  thus  when  he  speaks  of  "  Aeolian 
charms  and  Dorian  lyric  odes."  4  But  he  is  unable  to  rid 
himself  of  the  connotation  of  a  subduing  influence,  which 
already  mingles  with  the  primitive  meaning  in  "  the 
bellman's  drowsy  charm," 5  "  charming  pipes," 6  and  pos- 
sibly "charming  symphonies"7  also,  where  instrumental 
accompaniment  is  implied. 

The  natural  development  of  this  double  significance  is 
towards  the  idea  of  a  song  which  has  some  mysterious 

1  P.  L.  2.  951-957.     Cf.  also  C.   170  ;  S.   12.  3. 

2  Cf.  P.  L.  2.  64-65 ;  6.  487  ;  10.  567  ;  C.  369.  See  Glossary  and 
N.  E.  D.  s.  v.  noise. 

8  P    L.  4.  642  ;  651.  4  P.  R.  4.  257.  6  11  P.  83. 

6  P.   R.  2.  363.  '  P.  L.   11.  595  :  3.  368. 


The  Significance  of  Milton's  Knowledge  of  Music       89 

power,  a  song  which  casts  a  spell  over  the  hearer.  In 
this  sense  it  may  be  applied  to  such  phrases  as  "  charmed 
their  painful  steps,"  1  "  with  jocund  music  charm  his 
ear,"  2  "  in  Adam's  ear  so  charming  left  his  voice."  3 
The  best  example  is  the  familiar  passage  in  Comus, 

How  charming  is  divine  philosophy  ! 

Not  harsh  and  crabbed,  as  dull  fools  suppose, 

But  musical  as  is  Apollo's  lute.4 

From  this  to  the  general  meaning  of  "  magic  "  is  but  a 
short  step.  Thus  in  the  Comus  we  find  " charmed  cup"  5 
and  "  the  might  of  hellish  charms."  6  To  complete  the 
evolution,  the  general  meaning  of  mere  "  attraction  "  or 
"  attractiveness  "  may  be  added.7 

Often  a  musical  metaphor  is  hidden  in  a  phrase  of 
seemingly  general  meaning,  and  can  be  detected  only 
after  a  close  examination.  When,  in  Samson  Agonistes, 
the  "  sayings  of  the  wise  "  seem  "  harsh  and  of  dissonant 
mood  from  his  complaint,"  the  strength  of  the  metaphor 
lies  in  the  fancied  conflict  between  two  of  the  ancient 
Greek  modes — an  attempt,  as  it  were,  to  produce  har- 
mony by  playing  in  two  widely  different  and  discordant 
keys.8  When  the  "  blustering  winds  .  .  .  with  hoarse 
cadence  lull  seafaring  men  o'erwatched,"  the  one  musical 

1  P.  L.  1.  561.  2  P.  L.  1.  787. 

3  P.  L.  8.  2.  Cf.  also  the  description  of  Orpheus  as  Clio's 
"  enchanting  son,"  L.  59. 

*  C.  476-478.  Cf.  also  P.  L.  11.  132  and  the  use  of  carmen  in 
Ad  Mansum  69. 

5  C.  51. 

6  C.  613  ;  cf.  C.  150.  So  also  "  if  there  be  cure  or  charm," 
P.  L.  2.  460  ;  "  charm  pain  for  a  while,"  P.  L.  2.  566. 

7  Cf.  P.  L.  4.  498  ;  9.  999  ;  P.  R.  2.  213.  One  has  only  to  look 
into  some  of  Milton's  variant  readings  to  see  these  psychological 
processes  actually  going  on,  in  other  fields  as  well  as  in  that  of  music. 

8  S.  A.  662. 


90  Milton's  Knowledge  of  Music 

term  immediately  brings  to  mind  an  actual  song,  in  the 
manner  of  a  lullaby.1  Such  figures  as  these  illustrate 
Milton's  extraordinary  sense  for  sound.  He  often  seems 
to  prefer  to  describe  in  terms  of  sound  rather  than  in 
terms  of  form  or  of  color.  The  mere  suggestion  of  some- 
thing audible  makes  his  descriptions  remarkably  vivid. 
At  times  this  suggestion  is  practically  onomatopoeia,  as 
in  such  a  phrase  as  the  "  liquid  lapse  of  murmuring 
streams."  2  His  descriptions  of  unpleasant  sounds  are 
equally  effective.  The  gates  of  Hell  are  opened  with  a 
"  jarring  sound,  .  .  .  and  on  their  hinges  grate  harsh 
thunder."  3  There  is  onomatopoeia  also  in  such  phrases 
as  "  sonorous  metal  blowing  martial  sounds," 4  and 
"  clashed  on  their  sounding  shields  the  din  of  war."  5 
Milton's  sense  for  sound  is  most  marked  in  one  of  his 
earliest  works,  the  Nativity  Hymn.  The  entire  poem 
seems  to  move  upon  an  undercurrent  of  music.  It  is 
thoroughly  and  essentially  a  song.  This  is  shown  at 
the  very  start  by  the  appeal  to  the  "Heavenly  muse" 
for  some  verse,  hymn,  or  "solemn  strain."6  Later  it  is 
recalled  again  and  again  by  the  suggestions  and  direct 
descriptions  of  sound.  The  poem  falls  naturally  into 
three  parts  which  are  distinguished  through  the  cha- 
racterization of  sounds.  The  first  part  is  introductory. 
It  is  a  description  of  universal  peace  without  a  dis- 
cordant note.  It  creates  a  background  of  complete 
silence  for  the  great  sounds  which  are  to  follow  at  the  birth 
of  the  Savior.  This  background  is  made  more  effective 
by  the  negative  description  of  sounds  : 


1  P.  L.  2.  286-288.  ■  P.  L.  8.  263. 

3  P.  L%  2.  880-882.  Cf.  the  "  harmonious  sound  on  golden 
hinges  moving,"  when  "  Heaven  opened  wide  her  ever-during 
gates,"   P.  L.  7.  205-207. 

«  P.  L.  1.  540.  6  P.  L.  1.  668.  ■  H.  17. 


7  he  Significance  of  Milton  s  Knowledge  of  Music       91 

No  war,  or  battle's  sound, 
Was  heard  the  world  around  ; 


The  trumpet  spake  not  to  the  armed  throng. 

To  complete  this  picture  of  "  peaceful  night  "  there  is  a 
suggestion  of  the  gentle  sounds  of  nature  in  the  "  whis- 
pering "  of  the  winds  over  the  waters,  "  while  birds  of 
calm  sit  brooding  on  the  charmed  wave." 

The  second  part  of  the  poem  consists  of  a  description  of 
the  universal  harmony  at  the  Savior's  birth.  It  begins 
with  the  first  soft  notes  of  the  angelic  song  : 

Divinely-warbled  voice 
Answering  the  stringed  noise. 

The  air  echoes  and  re-echoes  the  sound.  Nature  awakes 
to  the  realization  that  the  harmony  has  begun  which 
alone  can  "  hold  all  Heaven  and  Earth  in  happier  union." 
Cherubim  and  Seraphim,  "  harping  in  loud  and  solemn 
quire,"  join  in  the  angelic  music.  Finally  even  the 
spheres  "  ring  out "  in  praise  of  the  Savior's  birth,  accom- 
panied by  the  "  bass  of  Heaven's  deep  organ."  The  uni- 
versal music  is  now  complete.  Milton  seems  to  feel  him- 
self the  leader  of  a  tremendous  orchestra,  which  responds 
to  every  suggestion  of  his  imagination.  If  only  this  uni- 
versal harmony  could  continue,  then  would  the  age  of 
gold  return  once  more. 

Yet  first  to  those  ychained  in  sleep 
The  wakeful  trump  of  doom  must  thunder  through 
the  deep. 

There  is  an  abrupt  transition  from  the  celestial  to  the 
infernal,  from  the  harmonious  to  the  discordant.  This 
transition  is  again  effected  by  the  suggestion  of  sounds. 
Thus  the  third  part  of  the  poem  is  introduced,  in  which 


92  Milton's  Knowledge  of  Music 

the  poet  describes  the  effect  of  Christ's  birth  upon  various 
pagan  superstitions  and  the  allies  of  Satan.  Their 
overthrow  is  portrayed  chiefly  by  the  silencing  of  charac- 
teristic sounds  connected  with  their  rites.  It  again  illus- 
trates Milton's  habitual  identification  of  religion  with 
concord  and  of  irreligion  with  discord. 

The  oracles  are  dumb  ; 

No  voice  or  hideous  hum 

Runs  through  the  arched  roof  in  words  deceiving. 

Apollo  leaves  Delphos  "  with  hollow  shriek  "  of  despair. 
In  the  mountains  there  is  a  "  voice  of  weeping  "  and  of 
"  loud  lament."  The  genius  of  the  wood  departs  "sigh- 
ing "  from  "  haunted  spring  and  dale."  The  household 
gods  "  moan  with  midnight  plaint." 

A  drear  and  dying  sound 

Affrights  the  flamens  at  their  service  quaint. 

In  vain  the  priests  of  Moloch,  "  with  cymbals'  ring," 
call  upon  the  grim  idol,  "  in  dismal  dance  about  the  fur- 
nace blue."  In  vain  the  sorcerers  of  Osiris  perform  their 
rites  "  with  timbreled  anthems  dark."  Thus,  from  be- 
ginning to  end,  the  Nativity  Hymn  is  built  up  on  sugges- 
tions of  sound.  Its  lyric  effectiveness  lies  largely  in  this 
preference  of  the  audible  to  the  visible. 

In  Milton's  later  works  this  tendency  to  describe  in 
terms  of  sound  is  still  predominant.  Possibly  it  increased 
with  his  blindness.  It  is  only  natural  to  suppose  that 
after  all  images  of  color  and  form  passed  out  of  his  ex- 
perience, his  mind  formed  its  pictures  chiefly  through 
the  medium  of  sound.  To  him  the  first  impression  of 
a  forest  would  be  not  the  green  but  the  whispering  of  the 
leaves  ;  the  most  vital  point  in  his  perception  of  a  stream 
would  be  its  murmuring  sound.     The  delights  of  sound 


The  Significance  of  Milton's  Knowledge  of  Music       93 

are  clearly  expressed  in  such  a  passage  as  the  opening 
of  the  Third  Book  of  Paradise  Lost,  in  which  Milton, 
bewailing  his  blindness,  calls  upon  light.  He  finds  con- 
solation only  in  the  music  of  Nature,  the  "  flowery 
brooks  "  which  "  warbling  flow,"  and  the  "  nocturnal 
note  "  of  the  "  wakeful  bird."  1 

Milton's  sense  for  sound  is  rooted  in  an  instinct  for 
harmony.  For  it  is  not  sound  alone  which  pleases  him, 
but  harmonious  sound,  or  at  least  sound  as  a  part  of  a  po- 
tential harmony.  Of  discord  in  any  form  he  has  a  horror. 
It  is  to  him  the  direct  evidence  and  manifestation  of  evil 
in  the  universe. 

Milton  is  truly  a  poet-musician.  These  two  gifts  of 
his  nature  are  mutually  helpful.  His  music  is  of  prac- 
tical value  to  his  poetry  in  that  it  gives  him  a  true  sense 
of  rhythm  and  a  fine  appreciation  of  melodious  sounds. 
His  poetry  reciprocates  by  idealizing  his  music  so  as  to 
raise  it  above  the  level  of  a  mere  art.  To  Milton,  music 
is  able  to  express  every  variety  of  human  emotion.  In 
V Allegro  it  represents  the  climax  of  joy.2  In  II  Penseroso 
on  the  other  hand,  the  mood  of  deepest  contemplation 
is  consummated  in  music.3  The  sublimity  of  music  is 
constantly  implied  by  Milton.  Conversely  his  sublimest 
passages  show  a  tendency  to  express  themselves  in  musi- 
cal terms.4 

Finally  may  be  cited  Milton's  use  of  the  conventionali- 
ties of  musical  mythology.  Here  again  his  knowledge  of 
music  is  affected  by  his  poetical  instincts.  The  stories  of 
Apollo  and  the  Muses,  of  Orpheus  and  the  power  of  his 
song,  of  nymphs  and  satyrs  skilled  in  music,  appeal  most 
potently  to  his  imagination.  He  delights  in  the  classic 
formula  of  calling  upon  the  Muse  for  aid ;  but  this  con- 
ventionality is  retained,  in  the  main,  rather  for  his  love 

1  P.  L.  3.  30-40.  2  UA.  135-150.  3  II  P.  161-166. 

*  Cf.  P.   W.  2.  418,  quoted  p.  Ill,  Appendix  I. 


94  Milton's  Knowledge  of  Music 

of  music  than  for  his  love  of  mythology  or  of  the  prece- 
dent of  epic  poets.  A  distinctly  musical  idea  is  usually 
the  basis  of  his  thought.  In  fact,  Milton  takes  occasion 
to  employ  the  musical  attributes  of  the  pagan  deities 
wherever  possible,  even  when  such  details  are  not  an 
essential  part  of  the  original  myth.1  In  his  use  of  the 
classic  pastoral  also,  Milton  shows  a  tendency  to  dwell 
upon  the  musical  elements  much  more  than  have  other 
imitators  of  the  form — more  indeed  than  Theocritus  and 
Virgil  themselves.  Milton's  inclination  to  read  a  musical 
significance  into  everything  possible  touches  even  his 
use  of  historical  material.  He  reminds  us  that  the 
ancient  Druids  were  bards  and  hints  at  a  possible  musical 
worship  of  Apollo  in  Britain.2  This  is  also  reflected  in 
the  opening  of  his  History  of  Britain,  where  the  British 
worship  of  Apollo  is  specifically  mentioned.3 

But,  curiously  enough,  Milton  finds  his  most  concrete 
musical  images  not  in  paganism,  but  in  Christianity.  The 
music  of  paganism  gives  him  philosophical  abstractions 
which  lead  to  a  vague  mysticism.  He  finds  therein  hints 
of  a  necessary  universal  concord  which  appeals  to  his 
philosophical  nature,  but  which  he  is  unable  to  express 


1  Thus  he  enlarges  upon  the  musical  powers  of  Bacchus,  E.  6. 
14  ;  33-34  ;  and  of  Circe,  C.  252-256.  In  C.  963-965  ;  P.  L.  11. 
132-133,  he  emphasizes  the  unusual  attribute  of  Mercury  as  a 
musician  ;  cf.  Osgood,  Mythology,  pp.  13,  42. 

2  Ad  Mansum  35  ;  38-43.  Warton  notes  that  Milton  here 
"  avails  himself  of  a  notion  supported  by  Selden  on  the  Polyolbion, 
that  Apollo  was  worshipped  in  Britain.  See  his  Notes  on  Songs 
viii,  ix.  Selden  supposes  also  that  the  British  Druids  invoked 
Apollo.  And  see  Spanheim  on  Callimachus,  vol.  ii.  492  ff."  Cf. 
also  Milton's  constant  use  of  musical  figures  to  describe  the  works 
of  the  ancient  poets,  P.  R.  4.  257-260  ;  Ad  Mansum  4  ;  7  ;  9  ; 
50-51  ;  Ad  Leonoram  2.  1  ;  In  Obit.  Praes.  Eli.  18-20  ;  S.  8.  12  ; 
P.   W.  2.  57. 

8  P.   W.  5.  175. 


The  Significance  of  Milton  s  Knowledge  of  Music       95 

in  philosophical  terms.  Only  in  the  symbolism  of  Chris- 
tianity can  he  find  a  definite  expression  of  this  mysticism. 
As  a  poet  he  can  adopt  such  allegories  as  the  music  of  the 
spheres  and  of  Nature.  As  a  Christian,  however,  he  is 
able  to  bring  the  entire  conception  to  a  sublime  climax 
in  a  Heaven  filled  with  the  music  of  singing  angels,  and 
dominating  the  great  harmony  of  the  universe. 

Milton  is  more  completely  and  thoroughly  a  Christian 
than  either  philosopher,  poet,  or  musician.  His  inner 
life  begins  and  ends  with  Christianity,  and  everything  is 
made  to  conform  to  it.  There  is  nothing  narrow  in 
Milton's  type  of  Christianity.  It  is  free  from  Puritan 
fanaticism.  It  is  so  broad  as  to  be  potentially  all-inclu- 
sive. This  is  made  particularly  clear  by  Milton's  philo- 
sophical adaptation  of  music  to  Christianity.  How 
much  of  this  idealization  possesses  reality  for  him,  and 
how  much  is  imaginary  ?  What  does  Milton  really  mean 
by  "  harmony  "  as  constituting  the  essence  of  God  ? 
Does  he  believe  that  an  actual  system  of  musical  concords 
runs  through  all  Nature  and  the  universe,  including  the 
elements,  the  planets  in  their  spheres,  and  the  angels  of 
Heaven  ?  Obviously  his  conception  cannot  be  inter- 
preted thus  literally,  even  allowing  for  his  poetical  ima- 
gination.1 A  deeper  significance  must  be  sought.  The 
real  importance  of  Milton's  conception  of  music  lies  in 
the  fact  that  it  is  a  figurative  representation  of  his  deepest 
religious  beliefs  and  aspirations.  The  cardinal  point  of 
Milton's  religion  is  the  doctrine  of  obedience,  of  confor- 
mity to  law.  It  is  a  rigorist  conception,  having  little 
in  common  with  the  modern  notion  of  the  love  of  God. 
Milton's  God  is  the  Kantian  categorical  imperative 
personified.  This  conception  appears  again  and  again  in 
his  works.     The  Treatise  of  Christian  Doctrine  is  full  of 

1  Cf.  his  explanation  of  the  Pythagorean  theory,  De  Sphaerarum 
Concentu,  Appendix  IV. 


96  Milton  s  Knowledge  of  Music 

allusions  to  the  sin  of  disobedience.1  Milton's  greatest 
poems,  Paradise  Lost,  Paradise  Regained,  Samson  Ago- 
nistcs,  and  to  a  certain  extent  the  Comus,  are  built  upon 
the  theme  of  obedience.  Paradise  is  lost  through  "  man's 
first  disobedience."  2  It  is  regained  through  the  obe- 
dience of  the  Savior  to  his  Father's  will.3  Samson's 
tragic  guilt  lies  in  his  disobedience.4  The  snares  of  Comus 
are  powerless  against  the  Lady's  obedience  to  the  laws 
of  chastity.5  The  influence  which  Milton's  doctrine  of 
obedience  had  over  him  is  shown  even  in  the  details  of  his 
domestic  and  religious  life.  To  him  the  position  of  woman 
was  properly  that  of  servant  and  helpmeet  to  the  man. 
This  belief  in  its  harshest  aspect  is  revealed  in  his  treat- 
ment of  the  character  and  position  of  Eve,  and  in  his 
divorce  pamphlets.  His  ideal  of  religion  on  earth  was 
a  church  government,  founded  upon  a  definite  and  revered 
law.6  The  blind  devotion  to  obedience  is  really  the  most 
Puritanic  side  of  Milton's  Christianity.  But  it  becomes 
both  softened  and  elevated  when  expressed  in  the  poetical 
terms  of  music.  Music,  to  Milton,  represents  law  and  order. 

Such  sweet  compulsion  doth  in  music  lie, 
To  lull  the  daughters  of  Necessity, 
And  keep  unsteady  Nature  to  her  law, 
And  the  low  world  in  measured  motion  draw 
After  the  heavenly  tune.7 

The  systematic  adjustment  of  the  entire  universe  to  law 
can  be  due  only  to  the  command  of  a  divine  Will.  It  is 
only  through  obedience  to  this  law  that  the  world  can 
exist.  Man,  by  his  disobedience,  lost  his  understanding 
of  the  harmony  of  the  universe.     It  became  inaudible 

1  See  particularly  the  chapter  on  original  sin,  P.   W.  4.  253  ff. 

2  P.  L.   1.   1.  8  P.   B.   1.   1-5. 
4  Cf.  particularly  S.  A.  373-380. 

6  Cf.  C.   766  ;  782  ;  801  ;  418  ff. 

•  Cf.  P.  W.   2.  441  ff.      7  A.   68-72 


The  Significance  of  Milton's  Knowledge  of  Music       97 

to  his  ear.  But  the  harmony  exists,  nevertheless,  in  spite 
of  man's  ignorance  thereof.  When  he  has  once  freed 
himself  from  the  bonds  of  sin,  and  entered  into  the  celestial 
life,  he  will  become  a  part  of  that  harmony  and  will  under- 
stand its  complete  significance.  This  musical  allegory 
shows  clearly  a  belief  in  the  immanence  of  God  in  Nature 
and  the  universe.  It  is  by  no  means  a  pantheism.  But 
it  represents  God  as  the  "  first  Mover,"  the  divine  source 
of  all  law  and  order,  spreading  his  influence  continually 
through  all  that  which  he  has  created.  God  is  to  Milton 
more  than  an  isolated  power,  setting  in  motion  machinery 
which  thereafter  runs  mechanically.  He  not  only  starts 
the  machinery,  but  continues  to  control  it,  and  makes 
his  influence  felt  in  its  every  detail.  This  is  the  law,  the 
order,  the  harmony,  of  which  music  represents  only  a 
single  phase.  Such  a  conception  of  religion  is  far  beyond 
the  ordinary  Puritanism  of  Milton's  day. 

This,  then,  is  the  significance  of  Milton's  conception  of 
music.  He  has  found  in  it  cosmos,  the  "  order  that  shall 
satisfy  one's  reasonable  soul,"  amid  apparent  chaos.1  It 
is  a  Platonic  conception — strictly  speaking  a  Pythagorean 
conception — yet  it  bears  fruit  of  a  thoroughly  Christian 
character.  It  is  a  conception  of  supreme  importance  in 
ancient  philosophy,  yet  just  as  vital  in  modern  thought. 
Is  it  not  true  ?  Is  not  the  search  for  harmony  instinctive 
in  mankind  now  as  well  as  centuries  ago  ?  Our  experi- 
ence is  still  the  same.  The  laws  of  "  measure  "  in  time 
and  space  are  necessary  facts  in  our  lives.  Kant  showed 
that  they  must  be  an  element  in  anything  of  which  we 
are  to  have  any  conception  whatever.  As  long  as  man 
exists  he  will  continue  to  seek  to  fathom  the  meaning  of 
those  laws  which  control  him  so  absolutely,  of  which 
he  feels  himself  a  part,  but  whose  nature  still  remains  a 

1  See  Walter  Pater's  admirable  discussion  of  the  "  doctrine  of 
number  "  in  his  Plato  and  Platonism,  pp.  45-52. 

S 


98  Milton  s  Knowledge  oj  Music 

mystery.  Pythagoras  was  said  to  be  able  to  perform 
miracles.  He  possessed  the  key  to  the  riddle  of  the  uni- 
verse.1 Through  the  perfection  of  his  own  life  he  came 
to  an  understanding  of  the  cosmic  life,  of  the  great  har- 
mony of  which  he  was  a  part.  He  was,  as  it  were, 
a  musician  thoroughly  familiar  with  his  instrument. 
He  could  play  upon  it  whatever  he  desired.  He  could 
disregard  set  forms,  and  improvise  according  to  his  own 
will.  He  could  even  change  its  intervals  and  tune  it 
according  to  an  entirely  new  system.  But  to  the  unin- 
itiated, the  ordinary  mortal,  dull  of  ear,  clogged  up  and 
muddy  of  soul,  this  instrument  must  for  ever  remain  a 
mystery.  He  could  touch  it,  procure  possibly  a  faint, 
mysterious  response,  but  his  own  will  would  be  powerless 
to  frame  laws  for  it,  to  impose  an  arbitrary  harmony  upon 
it.  He  must  take  conditions  as  he  finds  them.  To  a 
sincere  Christian  the  Pythagorean  fable  suggests  a  striking 
truth.  It  is  Christ  himself  who  has  proved  himself  worthy 
to  play  upon  this  mysterious  instrument  of  the  universe. 
He  is  the  supreme  example  of  Divinity  in  man,  of  the 
complete  and  understanding  harmony  with  Nature  and 
God.  Christ  himself  was  Milton's  ideal.  It  was  the 
harmonious  life — harmonious  with  man,  with  Nature  and 
with  God — for  which  he  strove.2  It  was  this  ideal  which 
made  him  a  musician,  for  in  the  realm  of  music  he  found 
an  actual  satisfaction  which  he  could  never  attain  in 
the  world  of  man.  For  this  reason,  also,  he  delighted 
in  those  ancient  stories  of  musicians  who,  by  the  power 
of  harmony  within  them,  solved  the  harmony  of  the  uni- 

1  Cf.  Milton's  description  of  him,  De  Sphaerarum  Concentu, 
Appendix  IV,  pp.   134-136. 

2  Cf.  P.  W.  3.  67,  where  Milton  speaks  of  the  Scriptures  as  "  the 
just  and  adequate  measure  of  truth  .  .  .  whose  every  part  consenting, 
and  making  up  the  harmonious  symmetry  of  complete  instruction, 
is  able  to  set  out  to  us  a  perfect  man  of  God."  Cf.  also  the  des- 
cription of  Christ  in  P.  L.  3.  268-271. 


The  Significance  of  Milton's  Knowledge  of  Music       99 

verse  about  them,  of  Pythagoras  who  heard  the  music 
of  the  spheres,  of  Apollo  and  Orpheus  who  controlled 
the  very  stones,  rivers,  and  trees  of  the  inanimate  world. 
It  was  thus  that  he  imagined  himself,  a  shepherd,  singing 
"  to  the  oaks  and  rills  "  which  joined  in  the  harmony 
of  Nature  as  an  accompaniment.  To  Milton  the  signif- 
icance of  music  lies  in  its  relation  to  the  entire  universe — 
to  man  first  of  all,  to  Nature  as  affecting  man  and  pos- 
sibly affected  by  him,  and  finally  to  God  as  controlling 
both  Nature  and  man. 

Paradise  Lost  is  the  work  of  a  philosopher,  a  poet,  and 
a  Christian.  Its  inspiration  may  be  found  in  that  ideal 
of  harmony  which  Milton  expresses  concretely  in  his  con- 
ception of  music.  It  is  a  description  of  the  perfect  har- 
mony of  the  golden  age  of  innocence,  and  of  the  discord 
caused  by  the  intrusion  of  sin.  "  Man's  first  disobedience  " 
upset  the  law  and  order  of  God.  Figuratively,  "  discor- 
dant sin  "  ruined  the  musical  harmony  of  the  universe. 
The  whole  conception  is  summed  up  in  the  lines  At  a 
Solemn  Music,  which  represent  Paradise  Lost  in  miniat- 
ure. In  spite  of  its  pagan  imagery,  it  is  essentially  a 
Christian  prayer,  that  the  "  sphere-born  harmonious 
sisters,  Voice  and  Verse  "  may  bring  to  our  ears  the  celes- 
tial music  of  angel  harps  and  trumpets, 

That  we  on  Earth,  with  undiscording  voice, 

May  rightly  answer  that  melodious  noise, 

As  once  we  did,  till  disproportioned  Sin 

Jarred  against  Nature's  chime,  and  with  harsh  din 

Broke  the  fair  music  that  all  creatures  made 

To  their  great  Lord,  whose  love  their  motion  swayed 

In  perfect  diapason,  whilst  they  stood 

In  first  obedience,  and  their  state  of  good. 

O,  may  we  soon  again  renew  that  song, 

And  keep  in  tune  with  Heaven,  till  God  ere  long 

To  his  celestial  consort  us  unite, 

To  live  with  him,  and  sing  in  endless  morn  of  light! 

g2 


APPENDIX  I 

The  most  important  Passages  in  Milton's  Works,  Illustrating 
his  Knowledge  of  Music,  arranged  in  chronological  order,  with 
comments. 

1.  Elegy  6.  39-46  (1626)  : 

Auditurque  chelys  suspensa  tapetia  circum, 

Virgineos  tremula  quae  regat  arte  pedes. 

Ilia  tuas  saltern  teneant  spectacula  Musas, 

Et  revocent  quantum  crapula  pellit  iners. 

Crede  mini,  dum  psallit  ebur,1  comitataque  plectrum 

Implet  odoratos  festa  chorea  tholos, 

Percipies  taciturn  per  pectora  serpere  Phoebum, 

Quale  repentinus  permeat  ossa  calor. 

2.  Nativity  Hymn  93-140  (1629)  : 

IX. 

When  such  music  sweet 

Their  hearts  and  ears  did  greet 
As  never  was  by  mortal  finger  strook, 

Divinely-warbled  voice 

Answering  the  stringed  noise, 
As  all  their  souls  in  blissful  rapture  took  : 
The  air,  such  pleasure  loth  to  lose, 
With  thousand  echoes  still  prolongs  each  heavenly  close. 

1  Dum  psallit  ebur.  Not  the  dancing  of  ivory  keys,  as  inter- 
preted by  Cowper  and  Masson,  but  rather  the  strokes  of  the  plectrum, 
with  which  the  lyre  was  often  played.  The  Greek  term  for  playing 
a  stringed  instrument  with  a  plectrum  was  xpdXXeiv,  as  opposed  to 
xqoveiv,  xQtxeiv,  n'krjaoEiv,  "  to  play  with  the  fingers,"  and  there 
is  little  doubt  that  in  this  instance  psallit  means  the  same.  In 
any  case,  Milton  would  hardly  introduce  a  contemporary  keyed 
instrument,  such  as  the  virginal,  into  such  classical  surroundings. 
Kircher,  Mus.  Univ.  2.  4.  1  applies  the  name  chelys  to  instruments 


Appendix  I  101 

X. 

Nature,  that  heard  such  sound 

Beneath  the  hollow  round 

Of  Cynthia's  seat,  the  airy  region  thrilling,1 

Now  was  almost  won 

To  think  her  part  was  done, 
And  that  her  reign  had  here  its  last  fulfilling  : 
She  knew  such  harmony  alone 
Could  hold   all  Heaven  and  Earth  in  happier  union.2 

XL 

At  last  surrounds  their  sight 

A  globe  of  circular  light, 
That  with  long  beams  the  shamefaced  Night  arrayed  ; 

The  helmed  Cherubim 

And  sworded  Seraphim 
Are  seen  in  glittering  ranks  with  wings  displayed, 
Harping  in  loud  and  solemn  quire, 
With  unexpressive  notes,  to  Heaven's  new-born  Heir.3 

of  the  viol  family— Quam  vulgo  viola  gamba  vocant.  But  in 
this  interpretation  the  ebur  would  again  be  meaningless.  The 
chdys  must  be  considered  here  in  its  classic  significance,  as  an 
instrument  of  the  lyre  family.  Milton  probably  has  in  mind  the 
lute,  which  is  to  him  the  contemporary  representative  of  the  ancient 
lyre.     Cf.  Ad  Leonoram  2.  6  ;  C.  478. 

1  Cf.  De  Sphaer.  Con.,  below,  Appendix  IV,  p.  134,  1.  19. 

2  The  implication  is  that  the  laws  of  nature  would  be  unneces- 
sary if  this  harmony  between  Heaven  and  Earth  could  only  continue 
indefinitely.  It  alone  can  effect  a  true  union,  such  as  once  existed, 
before  Sin  entered  into  the  world.  Cf.  st.  XIV;  P.  L.  10.  656-719  ; 
and  Spenser,  F.  Q.  5.  2.  34  ff. 

3  Professor  Cook,  Trans.  Conn.  Acad.  15.  341,  notes  that  "  at 
this  point  there  seems  to  be  no  singing,  but  only  harping."  Such 
an  interpretation  is  inconsistent  with  Milton's  habit  of  using  the 
harp  only  as  an  instrument  of  accompaniment.  The  word  "  quire  " 
is  here  sufficient  to  suggest  the  song  which  the  harps  accompany. 
Moreover,  there  is  nothing  to  indicate  a  cessation  of  the  "  divinely- 
warbled  voice."  The  Cherubim  and  Seraphim,  though  not  singing 
themselves,   are  accompanying  the  song  of  the  rest  of  the  angelic 


102  Milton  s  Knowledge  of  Music 

XII. 

Such  music  (as  'tis  said) 

Before  was  never  made, 

But  when  of  old  the  Sons  of  Morning  sung, 

While  the  Creator  great 

His  constellations  set, 
And  the  well-balanced  world  on  hinges  hung  ; 
And  cast  the  dark  foundations  deep, 
And  bid  the  weltering  waves  their  oozy  channel  keep.1 

XIII. 
Ring  out,  ye  crystal  spheres! 
Once  bless  our  human  ears, 
If  ye  have  power  to  touch  our  senses  so  ;  2 
And  let  your  silver  chime 
Move  in  melodious  time, 
And  let  the  bass  of  Heaven's  deep  organ  blow  ;  8 

host.  The  comparison  at  the  beginning  of  stanza  XII  implies  that 
the  song  is  still  kept  up.  Cf.  also  "  angelic  symphony,"  1.  132,  and 
s.  v.  symphony  (1)  G. 

1  See  below,  P.  L.  7.  253  ff.  ;  275  ;  557  ff. 

2  Cf.  De  Sphaer.  Con.  below,  Appendix  IV,  p.  134,  1.  21. 

3  The  bass  of  Heaven's  deep  organ  may  possibly  be  interpreted 
literally,  as  Burnet  would  have  it  (Early  Greek  Philosophy,  London, 
1908,  p.  351,  n.  3),  but  it  would  seem  that  the  bass  is  here  not  a  follow- 
ing part  but  a  leading  one.  Classical  accounts  of  the  musical  scale 
of  the  heavens  varied,  the  lowest  notes  being  assigned  to  the  furthest 
sphere  by  Nichomachus,  and  by  Servius  in  his  scholium  on  Virgil, 
A  en.  2.  255,  and  to  that  of  the  moon  by  Cicero  and  Martianus 
Capella.  According  to  A.  72,  and  S.  M.  23,  Milton  seems  to 
conceive  of  the  sphere- music  as  having  its  highest  notes  in  Heaven. 
But  he  evidently  concerned  himself  little  with  the  exact  details  of 
the  system,  being  attracted  chiefly  by  its  poetical  and  ethical  possi- 
bilities. Here  he  seems  to  be  thinking  of  the  fundamental  or  most 
important  tones  as  much  as  of  actual  bass  notes.  Himself  an  organist, 
he  naturally  makes  an  organ  the  centre  of  his  universal  music.  It 
may  be  that  he  imagines  Heaven's  organ  as  sounding  the  "  plain- 
song  "  to  which  the  spheres  add  their  "  descant."  Cf.  the  abandoned 
reading  of  C.  243  :  "  And  hold  a  counterpoint  to  all  Heaven's  har- 


Appendix  I  10$ 

And  with  your  ninefold  harmony 

Make  up  full  consort  to  the  angelic  symphony.1 


XIV. 

For,  if  such  holy  song 

Enwrap  our  fancy  long, 

Time  will  run  back,  and  fetch  the  Age  of  Gold2  ; 

And  speckled  Vanity 

Will  sicken  soon  and  die, 

And  leprous  Sin  will  melt  from  earthly  mould  ; 

And  Hell  itself  will  pass  away, 

And  leave  her  dolorous  mansions  to  the  peering  day. 

3.  The  Passion  22-28  (1630)  : 

These  latest  scenes  confine  my  roving  verse, 

To  this  horizon  is  my  Phoebus  bound. 

His  godlike  acts,  and  his  temptations  fierce, 

And  former  sufferings,  otherwhere  are  found, 

Loud  o'er  the  rest  Cremona's  trump3  doth  sound, 

Me  softer  airs  befit,  and  softer  strings 

Of  lute  or  viol  still,  more  apt  for  mournful  things. 

monies."     Philo,    De    Somn.    1.  7.    37    calls  Heaven    the  "  arche- 
typum  organum." 

1  The  notion  of  the  angels  singing  in  harmony  with  the  music 
of  the  spheres  seems  to  be  Neo-Platonic.  Philo  hints  at  such  a 
conception,  De  Somn.  1.  6-7.  Ambrosius  states  it  very  clearly.  See 
the  passage  quoted  in  Appendix  V,  p.  145.  Cf.  also  Dante,  Purg. 
30.  92-93. 

2  Cf.  De  Sphaer.  Con.  Appendix  IV,  p.  136,  1.  3. 

8  Cremona's  trump  refers  to  Vida's  Christiad.  Warton  (n.  on 
p.  26)  wrongly  assumed  that  Milton  considered  this  "  the  finest 
Latin  poem  on  a  religious  subject."  The  comparison  with  the  trumpet 
implies  merely  a  noisy,  proclamatory  style.  It  is  significant,  too, 
that  Milton  contrasts  with  Vida  his  own  "  softer  airs  "  and  "  softer 
strings";  cf.  similar  contrasts  of  gentle  sounds  with  those  of  the 
trumpet,  P.  L.  11.  713;  H.  58  ff.  Milton's  general  use  of  the 
trumpet  shows  clearly  that  its  actual  sound  is  not  pleasant  to  his 
ears.  See  reff.  in  G.,  esp.  P.  L.  6.  69  ;  P.  R.  1.  19,  and  cf.  his  sar- 
castic comment  on  the  "  trumpet  of  Salmasius,"   P.    W.   1.   232. 


104  Milton's  Knowledge  of  Music 

4.  Ad  Patrem  17-29  (1630)  : 

Nee  tu,  vatis  opus,  divinum  despice  carmen, 

Quo  nihil  aethereos  ortus  et  semina  coeli, 

Nil  magis  humanam  commendat  origine  mentem, 

Sancta  Prometheae  retinens  vestigia  flammae. 

Carmen  amant  Superi,  tremebundaque  Tartara  carmen 

Ima  ciere  valet,  divosque  ligare  profundos,1 

Et  triplici  duros  Manes  ademante  coercet.2 

Carmine  sepositi  retegunt  arcana  futuri 

Phoebades,  et  tremulae  pallentes  ora  Sibyllae  ; 

Carmina  sacrificus  sollennes  pangit  ad  aras, 

Aurea  seu  sternit  motantem  cornua  taurum, 

Seu  cum  fata  sagax  fumantibus  abdita  fibris 

Consulit,  et  tepidis  Parcam  scrutatur  in  extis. 


Ad  Patrem  30-40  3  : 

Nos  etiam,  patrium  tunc  cum  repetemus  Olympum, 
Aeternaeque  morae  stabunt  immobilis  aevi, 
Ibimus  auratis  per  coeli  templa  coronis, 
Dulcia  suaviloquo  sociantes  carmina  plectro, 
Astra  quibus  geminique  poli  convexa  sonabunt 
Spiritus  et  rapidos  qui  circinat  igneus  orbes 
Nunc  quoque  sidereis  intercinit  ipse  choreis 
Immortale  melos  et  inenarrabile  carmen, 
Torrida  dum  rutilus  compescit  sibila  Serpens,4 
Demissoque  ferox  gladio  mansuescit  Orion, 
Stellarum  nee  sentit  onus  Maurusius  Atlas.6 


1  Cf.  P.  L.  2.  552-555  ;     V.  Ex.  52  ;    V A.  149  ;  II  P.  107-108. 

2  Cf.  A.  65-66  ;  68-69. 

8  Here  the  Christian  feelings  of  the  Solemn  Music  are  presented 
in  pagan  phraseology. 

4  Cf.  the  allusion  to  Delphinus,  De  Sphaer.  Con.  Appendix  IV, 
p.  134,  1.  2. 

6  Cf.  the  allusion  to  Atlas,  "  panting  and  sweating  under  his 
burden,"  De  Sphaer.  Con.     Appendix  IV,  p.  133,  1.  26. 


Appendix  I  105 

Ad  Pattern  50-55  1  : 

Denique  quid  vocis  modulamen  inane  juvabit, 
Verborum  sensusque  vacans,  numerique  loquacis  ? 
Silvestres  decet  iste  choros,  non  Orphea,  cantus, 
Qui  tenuit  fluvios,  et  quercubus  addidit  aures, 
Carmine,  non  cithara,  simulacraque  functa  canendo 
Compulit  in  lacrymas  ;  habet  has  a  carmine  laudes. 

Ad  Pattern  56—66  : 

Nee  tu  perge,  precor,  sacras  contemnere  Musas, 
Nee  vanas  inopesque  puta,  quarum  ipse  peritus 
Munere  mille  sonos  numeros  componis  ad  aptos, 
Millibus  et  vocem  modulis  variare  canoram 
Doctus,  Arionii  merito  sis  nominis  haeres. 
Nunc  tibi  quid  minim,  si  me  genuisse  poetam 
Contigerit,  charo  si  tarn  prope  sanguine  juncti 
Cognatas  artes,  studiumque  affine,  sequamur  ? 
Ipse  volens  Phoebus  se  dispertire  duobus, 
Altera  dona  mihi,  dedit  altera  dona  parenti ; 
Dividuumque  Deum,  genitorque  puerque,  tenemus. 

5.  L'Allegto  135-144  (1632-33)  : 
And  ever,  against  eating  cares, 
Lap  me  in  soft  Lydian  airs, 
Married  to  immortal  verse, 
Such  as  the  meeting  soul  may  pierce, 
In  notes  with  many  a  winding  bout 
Of  linked  sweetness  long  drawn  out, 
With  wanton  heed,  and  giddy  cunning, 
The  melting  voice  2  through  mazes  running, 

1  Cf.  the  description  of  Apollo's  song,  Ad  Mansum  54-69,  and 
see  pp.  98,  99. 

2  With  this  visionary  singer  cf.  the  visionary  organist  of  P.  L. 
11.  561  ff.  The  same  delight  in  an  orderly  confusion  of  sounds  is 
here  evident.  The  singer  is  evidently  so  well-trained  as  to  make 
his  accuracy  (heed)  seem  careless  (wanton),  and  his  scientific  skill 
(cunning)  a  matter  of  mere  recklessness  (giddy).  Similarly,  in  P.  L.  5. 
623-624,  the  mazes  of  the  celestial  dance  are 


106  Milton's  Knowledge  of  Music 

Untwisting  all  the  chains  that  tie 
The  hidden  soul  of  harmony.1 

6.  //  Penseroso  161-166  (1632-33)  : 

There  let  the  pealing  organ  blow 

To  the  full-voiced  quire  below, 

In  service  high  and  anthems  clear, 

As  may  with  sweetness,  through  mine  ear, 

Dissolve  me  into  ecstasies, 

And  bring  all  Heaven  before  mine  eyes.2 

7.  Sonnet,  To  the  Nightingale  (1633)  : 

O  Nightingale,  that  on  yon  bloomy  spray 
Warblest  3  at  eve,  when  all  the  woods  are  still, 
Thou  with  fresh  hope  the  lover's  heart  dost  fill, 
While  the  jolly  Hours  lead4  on  propitious  May; 

regular 
Then  most  when  most  irregular  they  seem. 
Yet  all  this  seemingly  careless  confusion,  these  brilliant  runs  and 
baffling  combinations  of  notes,  are  really  controlled  by  a  definite 
system.  It  is  only  by  solving  these  problems  that  the  real  soul 
of  harmony  is  reached.  Milton  may  well  have  had  in  mind  com- 
positions such  as  those  of  Monteverde,  in  which  brilliant  runs  were 
a  feature.  Cf.  the  specimen  in  Hawkins  3.  436-438.  "  0  had  I 
wings,"  by  Milton's  father,  shows  some  intricate  "  mazes."  See 
Hawkins  3.  369-371. 

1  Cf.  De  Sphaer.  Con.  Appendix  IV,  p.  134,  1.  14  ;  P.  L.  5.  625-627. 
Cf.  also  Pherecrates'  description  of  the  binding  of  Movaaoj  by  Timo- 
theus  of  Miletus,  Plutarch,  De  Musica  30. 

2  Cf.   V.  Ex.  32-38  : 

Before  thou  clothe  my  fancy  in  fit  sound  : 

Such  where  the  deep  transported  mind  may  soar 

Above  the  wheeling  poles,  and  at  Heaven's  door 

Look  in,  and  see  each  blissful  deity 

How  he  before  the  thunderous  throne  doth  lie, 

Listening  to  what  unshorn  Apollo  sings 

To  the  touch  of  golden  wires. 

*  G.,  8.  v.  warble. 

4  Lead,  i.  e.,  in  dance ;  cf.   P.  L.  4.  268. 


Appendix  1  107 

Thy  liquid  notes  that  close  the  eye  of  day, 
First  heard  before  the  shallow  cuckoo's  bill, 
Portend  success  in  love.    O  if  Jove's  will 
Have  linked  that  amorous  power  to  thy  soft  lay,1 

Now  timely  sing,  ere  the  rude  bird  of  hate 

Foretell  my  hopeless  doom,  in  some  grove  nigh  ; 
As  thou  from  year  to  year  hast  sung  too  late 

For  my  relief,  yet  hadst  no  reason  why. 

Whether  the  Muse  or  Love  call  thee  his  mate, 
Both  them  I  serve,  and  of  their  train  am  I. 

8.  Arcades  61-73  (1633-34)  : 

But  else  in  deep  of  night  when  drowsiness 

Hath  locked  up  mortal  sense,  then  listen  I 

To  the  celestial  Sirens'  harmony,2 

That  sit  upon  the  nine  enfolded  spheres, 

And  sing  to  those  that  hold  the  vital  shears, 

And  turn  the  adamantine  spindle  round, 

On  which  the  fate  of  gods  and  men  is  wound. 

Such  sweet  compulsion  doth  in  music  lie, 

To  lull  the  daughters  of  Necessity, 

And  keep  unsteady  Nature  to  her  law, 

And  the  low  world  in  measured  motion  draw 

After  the  heavenly  tune,  which  none  can  hear 

Of  human  mould  with  gross  unpurged  ear. 


1  For  the  amorous  character  of  the  nightingale's  song,  cf.  P.  L.  4. 
603  ;  771  ;  7.  436  ;  8.   518  ;  C.  234. 

2  See  below  Appendix  V,  p.  144.  In  S.  M.  1-2,  the  "  blest  pair 
of  Sirens  .  .  .  sphere-born  harmonious  sisters,  Voice  and  Verse  "  are 
thought  of  in  the  same  way.  In  C.  241,  Echo  is  "  Daughter  of  the 
Sphere,"  and  the  promise  that  she  shall  "  give  resounding  grace  to 
all  Heaven's  harmonies  "  (243)  indicates  that  she  is  one  of  the  Sirens 
of  the  spheres.  In  P.  W.  2.  481  Milton  apparently  identifies  the 
nine  celestial  Sirens  with  the  nine  Muses  when  he  speaks  of  "  dame 
Memory  and  her  siren  daughters."  See  Martianus  Capelia,  De 
Nupt.  Phil.  1.  27-28,  below,  Appendix  V,  p.   146. 


108  Milton's  Knowledge  of  Music 

9.  At  a  Solemn  Music  1  (1633-34)  : 

Blest  pair  of  Sirens,  pledges  of  Heaven's  joy, 

Sphere-born  harmonious  sisters,  Voice  and  Verse, 

Wed  your  divine  sounds,  and  mixed  power  employ 

Dead  things  with  inbreathed  sense  able  to  pierce  ; 

And  to  our  high-raised  phantasy  present 

That  undisturbed  song  of  pure  concent,2 

Aye  sung  before  the  sapphire-coloured  throne 

To  Him  that  sits  thereon, 

With  saintly  shout,  and  solemn  jubilee  ; 

Where  the  bright  Seraphim  in  burning  row 

Their  loud  uplifted  angel-trumpets  blow, 

And  the  cherubic  host  in  thousand  quires 

Touch  their  immortal  harps  of  golden  wires, 

With  those  just  Spirits  that  wear  victorious  palms, 

Hymns  devout  and  holy  psalms 

Singing  everlastingly  : 

That  we  on  Earth,  with  undiscording  voice, 

May  rightly  answer  that  melodious  noise  ; 

As  once  we  did,  till  disproportioned  Sin 

Jarred  against  Nature's  chime,  and  with  harsh  din 

1  These  lines  are  the  highest  and  most  perfect  expression  of 
Milton's  doctrine  of  a  universal  harmony.  They  are  crowded  with 
metaphysical  ideas,  mystical  Christianity,  pagan  mythology,  and 
technical  terms  of  music.  The  opening  is  distinctly  pagan,  Voice 
and  Verse,  i.  e.,  the  music  and  the  words  in  song,  being  represented 
as  "  daughters  of  the  sphere,"  probably  an  echo  of  Neo-Platonism. 
The  celestial  concert  which  follows  is  a  combination  of  Plato's 
sphere-music  and  the  angelic  song  of  Revelation.  Cf.  Plato, 
Republic  10.  617  ;  Revelation  14.  3. 

2  Concent :  concord.     In  II  P.  93-96,  Milton  speaks  of 

those  daemons  that  are  found 
In  fire,  air,  flood,  or  underground, 
Whose  power  hath  a  true  consent 
With  planet,  or  with  element. 
Cf.  P.  W.  3.  67,  "  whose  every  part  consenting,  and  making  up 
the  harmonious  symmetry,"  etc.     In  both  cases  the  musical  signi- 
ficance  of  "  concent  "   seems  to  be  lurking  in  his  mind,  although 
there  is  no  etymological  connection  with  "  consent." 


Appendix  I  109 

Broke  the  fair  music  that  all  creatures  made 

To  their  great  Lord,  whose  love  their  motion  swayed 

In  perfect  diapason,1  whilst  they  stood 

In  first  obedience,  and  their  state  of  good. 

O,  may  we  soon  again  renew  that  song, 

And  keep  in  tune  with  Heaven,  till  God  ere  long 

To  his  celestial  consort  2  us  unite, 

To  live  with  Him,  and  sing  in  endless  morn  of  light ! 

10.  Comus  543-562  3  (1634)  : 

I  sat  me  down  to  watch  upon  a  bank 

With  ivy  canopied,  and  interwove 

With  flaunting  honeysuckle  ;  and  began, 

Wrapt  in  a  pleasing  fit  of  melancholy, 

To  meditate  my  rural  minstrelsy 

Till  fancy  had  her  fill ;  but  ere  a  close, 

The  wonted  roar  was  up  amidst  the  woods, 

And  filled  the  air  with  barbarous  dissonance  ; 

At  which  I  ceased,  and  listened  them  a  while, 

Till  an  unusual  stop  of  sudden  silence 

Gave  respite  to  the  drowsy  frighted  steeds 

That  draw  the  litter  of  close-curtained  Sleep. 

At  least  a  soft  and  solemn-breathing  sound 

Rose  like  a  stream  of  rich  distilled  perfumes, 

And  stole  upon  the  air,  that  even  Silence 

Was  took  ere  she  was  ware,  and  wished  she  might 

Deny  her  nature,  and  be  never  more, 

Still  to  be  so  displaced.     I  was  all  ear, 

1  Diapason  represents  the  harmony  between  Heaven  and  Earth 
as  consisting  of  the  interval  of  the  octave,  in  other  words,  the  most 
perfect  concord  excepting  an  actual  unison.  See  p.  74.  Man's 
state  of  good  consisted  in  an  undeviating  conformity  to  divine  law. 
Cf.  above  pp.  96-97. 

2  Either  the  music  of  the  celestial  choirs,  or  the  choirs  them- 
selves. Cf.  "  Coelestium  consortio,"  De  Sphaer.  Con.  Appendix  IV, 
p.  135,  1.  7. 

3  The  allusions  to  Harry  Lawes  in  Comus  and  the  Sonnet  ad- 
dressed to  him  (1645)  are  quoted  in  Appendix  II. 


110  Milton's  Knowledge  of  Music 

And  took  in  strains  that  might  create  a  soul 
Under  the  ribs  of  Death. 

11.  Lycidas  32-36  (1637)  : 

Meanwhile  the  rural  ditties  were  not  mute, 
Tempered  to  the  oaten  flute  ; 

Rough  Satyrs  danced,  and  Fauns  with  cloven  heel 
From  the  glad  sound  would  not  be  absent  long  ; 
And  old  Damoetas  loved  to  hear  our  song. 

Lycidas  58—63  : 

What  could  the  Muse  herself  that  Orpheus  bore, 
The  Muse  herself,  for  her  enchanting  son 
Whom  universal  Nature  did  lament, 
When  by  the  rout  that  made  the  hideous  roar, 
His  gory  visage  down  the  stream  was  sent, 
Down  the  swift  Hebrus  to  the  Lesbian  shore  ? 

Lycidas  172-180: 

So  Lycidas  sunk  low,  but  mounted  high, 

Through  the  dear  might  of  Him  that  walked  the  waves, 

Where,  other  groves  and  other  streams  along, 

With  nectar  pure  his  oozy  locks  he  laves, 

And  hears  the  unexpressive  nuptial  song, 

In  the  blest  kingdoms  meek  of  joy  and  love. 

There  entertain  him  all  the  Saints  above, 

In  solemn  troops  and  sweet  societies, 

That  sing,  and  singing  in  their  glory  move. 

Lycidas  186-189: 

Thus  sang  the  uncouth  swain  to  the  oaks  and  rills, 
While  the  still  morn  went  out  with  sandals  gray  ; 
He  touched  the  tender  stops  of  various  quills, 
With  eager  thought  warbling  his  Doric  lay. 

12.  Three   Latin  Epigrams   to  Leonora    Baroni,   the  Singer 

(1638-39).      Quoted  in  Appendix  III,   pp.  129-130. 


Appendix  I  111 

13.  Epitaphium  Damonis  215-219  (1639-40)  : 

Ipse,  caput  nitidum  cinctus  mtilante  corona, 
Laetaque  frondentis  gestans  umbracula  patoae, 
Aeternum  perages  immortales  hymenaeos, 
Cantus  ubi,  choreisque  furit  lyra  mista  beatis 
Festa  Sionaeo  bacchantur  et  Orgia  thyrso. 

14.  Of  Reformation  in  England,  P.  W.  2.  418  (1641)  : 
Then,  amidst  the  hymns  and  hallelujahs  of  saints,  some  one 

may  perhaps  be  heard  offering  at  high  strains  in  new  and 
lofty  measure  to  sing  and  celebrate  thy  divine  mercies  and 
marvellous  judgments  in  this  land  throughout  all  ages. 

15.  Animadversions,  P.  W.    2.  61-62  (1641)  : 

Variety  (as  both  music  and  rhetoric  teacheth  us)  erects  and 
rouses  an  auditory,  like  the  masterful  running  over  many 
chords  and  divisions  ;  whereas  if  men  should  ever  be  thumbing 
the  drone  of  one  plain-song,  it  would  be  a  dull  opiate  to  the 
most  wakeful  attention. 

16.  Tractate  on  Education,  P.  W.  3.  476  (1644)  : 

The  interim  of  unsweating  themselves  regularly,  and  con- 
venient rest  before  meat,  may,  both  with  profit  and  delight, 
be  taken  up  in  recreating  and  composing  their  travailed  spirits 
with  the  solemn  and  divine  harmonies  of  music,  heard  or 
learned,  either  whilst  the  skilful  organist  plies  his  grave  and 
fancied  descant  in  lofty  fugues,  or  the  whole  symphony  with 
artful  and  unimaginable  touches  adorn  and  grace  the  well- 
studied  chords  of  some  choice  composer  ;  sometimes  the  lute 
or  soft  organ-stop  waiting  on  elegant  voices,  either  to  religious, 
martial,  or  civil  ditties  ;  which,  if  wise  men  and  prophets 
be  not  extremely  out,  have  a  great  power  over  dispositions 
and  manners,  to  smoothe  and  make  them  gentle  from  rustic 
harshness  and  distempered  passions.1 

1  Cf.  this  actual  organist  with  the  visionary  Jubal  (P.  L.  11. 
562,  below  p.  121)  pursuing  his  themes  through  all  proportions  low 
and  high.     When  grave,  the  descant  or  improvisation  may  be  said 


112  Milton's  Knowledge  of  Music 

17.  Areopagitica,  P.  W.  2.  73  (1644)  : 

If  we  think  to  regulate  printing,  thereby  to  rectify  manners, 
we  must  regulate  all  recreations  and  pastimes,  all  that  is 
delightful  to  man.  No  music  must  be  heard,  no  song  be  set 
or  sung,  but  what  is  grave  and  doric.  There  must  be  licensing 
dancers,  that  no  gesture,  motion,  or  deportment  be  taught 
our  youth,  but  what  by  their  allowance  shall  be  thought 
honest ;  for  such  Plato  was  provided  of.  It  will  ask  more  than 
the  work  of  twenty  licensers  to  examine  all  the  lutes,  the 
violins,  and  the  guitars  in  every  house  ;  they  must  not  be 
suffered  to  prattle  as  they  do,  but  must  be  licensed  what  they 
may  say.  And  who  shall  silence  all  the  airs  and  madrigals 
that  whisper  softness  in  chambers  ?  The  windows  also,  and 
the  balconies,  must  be  thought  on  ;  these  are  shrewd  books, 
with  dangerous  frontispieces,  set  to  sale  ;  who  shall  prohibit 
them,  shall  twenty  licensers  ?  The  villages  also  must  have 
their  visitors  to  inquire  what  lectures  the  bagpipe  and  the 
rebeck  reads,  even  to  the  ballatry  and  the  gamut  of  every 
municipal  fiddler ;  for  these  are  the  countryman's  Arcadias, 
and  his  Monte  Mayors.1 

to  be  in  low  proportions,  but  when  fancied  (i.  e.,  fanciful),  the  pro- 
portions would  become  complex  or  high.  The  improvisation  of 
the  organist  is  compared  with  the  performance  of  the  well-studied 
chords  of  some  choice  composer  by  the  entire  company.  Milton's 
intention,  obviously,  is  to  show  how  the  boys  themselves  may 
take  part  in  the  music.  He  speaks  above  of  the  "  divine  harmonies 
of  music  heard  or  learned."  Here,  then,  the  pupils  are  represented 
as  playing  together,  or  singing,  at  times  a  cappella,  at  times  with 
the  accompaniment  of  lute  or  organ.  The  "  artful  and  unima- 
ginable touches  "  are  in  contrast  with  the  natural  descant  of  the 
organist.  Formal  set  music  is  here  compared  with  spontaneous 
improvisation. 

1  This  sustained  piece  of  sarcasm  shows  how  naturally  music 
came  into  Milton's  mind,  even  in  his  bitterest  controversial  pam- 
phlets. The  reference  to  Plato  seems  to  be  based  chiefly  upon 
the  Laws  2.  654  ;  655.  The  ballatry  and  gamut  imply  a  limited 
and  aimless  style  of  music  with  little  meaning  (see  G).  Such  poor, 
insignificant  music,  says  Milton,  is  all  the  "  literature "  that  a 
countryman  possesses.     Hence,  why  not  license  even  it? 


Appendix  I  113 

18.  Sonnet  13  (1645).     Quoted  in  Appendix  II,  p.  124. 

19.  P.  L.  1.  549-562  (1658-65)  : 

Anon  they  move 
In  perfect  phalanx  to  the  Dorian  mood 
Of  flutes  and  soft  recorders — such  as  raised 
To  highth  of  noblest  temper  heroes  old 
Arming  to  battle,  and  instead  of  rage 
Deliberate  valour  breathed,  firm  and  unmoved 
With  dread  of  death  to  flight  or  foul  retreat ; 
Nor  wanting  power  to  mitigate  and  swage 
With  solemn  touches  troubled  thoughts,  and  chase 
Anguish  and  doubt  and  fear  and  sorrow  and  pain 
From  mortal  or  immortal  minds.     Thus  they, 
Breathing  united  force  with  fixed  thought, 
Moved  on  in  silence,  to  soft  pipes  that  charmed 
Their  painful  steps  o'er  the  burnt  soil.1 

P.  L.  1.  705-709: 

A  third  as  soon  had  formed  within  the  ground 

A  various  mould,  and  from  the  boiling  cells 

By  strange  conveyance  filled  each  hollow  nook, 

As  in  an  organ,  from  one  blast  of  wind, 

To  many  a  row  of  pipes  the  sound-board  breathes.2 

P.  L.  2.  284-290  : 

He  scarce  had  finished,  when  such  murmur  filled 
The  assembly,  as  when  hollow  rocks  retain 
The  sound  of  blustering  winds,   which  all  night  long 
Had  roused  the  sea,    now  with  hoarse  cadence3  lull 

1  This  is  Milton's  clearest  exposition  of  the  q&og  of  the  Dorian 
mode.  It  was  evidently  his  favorite,  as  it  was  Plato's.  Cf.  Laches 
188  D  ;  Republic  3.  399.     See  G.,  and  cf.  pp.  66,  67. 

2  See  Prof.  Edward  Taylor's  explanation  of  this  simile,  quoted 
by  Keightley,  Life,  p.  433. 

8  The  "  hoarse  cadence  "  represents  the  gradual  diminuendo  of 
the  music  of  the  winds,  which,  stored  up  in  the  hollow  rocks  as 
in  the  wind-chest  of  an  organ,  breathe  their  lullaby  even  after  the 

h 


114  Milton's  Knowledge  of  Music 


Sea-faring  men  o'er-watched,  whose  bark  by  chance. 
Or  pinnace,  anchors  in  a  craggy  bay 
After  the  tempest. 

P.  L.  2.  546-555  : 

Others,  more  mild, 
Retreated  in  a  silent  valley,  sing 
With  notes  angelical  to  many  a  harp 
Their  own  heroic  deeds  and  hapless  fall 
By  doom  of  battle  ;  and  complain  that  Fate 
Free  Virtue  should  enthral  to  Force  or  Chance. 
Their  song  was  partial,1  but  the  harmony 
(What  could  it  less  when  spirits  immortal  sing  ?) 
Suspended  Hell,  and  took  with  ravishment 
The  thronging  audience. 

P.  L.  3.  26-40  : 

Yet  not  the  more 
Cease  I  to  wander  where  the  Muses  haunt 
Clear  spring,  or  shady  grove,  or  sunny  hill, 
Smit  with  the  love  of  sacred  song  ;  but  chief 
Thee,  Sion,  and  the  flowery  brooks  beneath, 
That  wash  thy  hallowed  feet,  and  warbling  flow, 
Nightly  I  visit ;  nor  sometimes  forget 
Those  other  two  equalled  with  me  in  fate, 
So  were  I  equalled  with  them  in  renown, 
Blind  Thamyris  and  blind  Maeonides, 

commotion  of  the  tempest  has  ceased.     The  figure  is  fanciful,  yet 
well  sustained  and  full  of  beauty. 

1  The  fallen  angels,  similar  to  the  angels  in  Heaven,  instinctively 
sing  in  harmony,  even  though  their  song  is  partial,  i.  e.,  scattered, 
each  one  singing  for  himself  alone,  without  true  concent.  As  usual, 
Milton  is  playing  on  the  meaning  of  a  word,  using  "  partial "  not 
only  in  contrast  with  "  harmony/1  in  a  musical  sense,  but  also 
as  suggesting  the  pride  and  selfishness  of  the  fallen  angels.  The 
perfect  harmony  of  Heaven  has  been  disturbed  and  lost  in  their 
case,  but  enough  is  left  to  ravish  Hell,  in  spite  of  its  "  par- 
tiality,"   both   musical  and   mental. 


Appendix  I  115 

And  Tiresias  and  Phineus,  prophets  old  : 
Then  feed  on  thoughts  that  voluntary  move 
Harmonious  numbers ;  as  the  wakeful  bird 
Sings  darkling,  and,  in  shadiest  covert  hid, 
Tunes  her  nocturnal  note. 


P.  L.  3.  344-349  ;  365-371  : 

No  sooner  had  the  Almighty  ceased,  but — all 

The  multitude  of  angels,  with  a  shout 

Loud  as  from  numbers  without  number,  sweet 

As  from  blest  voices,  uttering  joy — Heaven  rung 

With  jubilee,  and  loud  hosannas  filled 

The  eternal  regions. 

Then,  crowned  again,  their  golden  harps  they  took, 
Harps  ever  tuned,  that  glittering  by  their  side 
Like  quivers  hung ;  and  with  preamble  sweet 
Of  charming  symphony  they  introduce 
Their  sacred  song,  and  waken  raptures  high  ; 
No  voice  exempt,  no  voice  but  well  could  join 
Melodious  part ;  such  concord  is  in  Heaven. 


P.  L.  3.  579-582  : 

They,  as  they  move 
Their  starry  dance  in  numbers  that  compute 
Days,  months,  and  years,  towards  his  all-cheering  lamp 
Turn  swift  their  various  motions. 


P.  L.  4.  264-268  : 

The  birds  their  quire  apply ;  airs,  vernal  airs, 
Breathing  the  smell  of  field  and  grove,  attune 
The  trembling  leaves,  while  universal  Pan 
Knit  with  the  Graces  and  the  Hours  in  dance 
Led  on  the  eternal  Spring. 

h2 


116  Milton  s  Knowledge  of  Music 

P.  L.  4.  601-603  : 

They  to  their  grassy  couch,  these  to  their  nests 
Were  slunk,  all  but  the  wakeful  nightingale  ; 
She  all  night  long  her  amorous  descant l  sung. 

P.  L.  4.  675-688  : 

Nor  think,  though  men  were  none, 
That  Heaven  would  want  spectators,  God  want  praise. 
Millions  of  spiritual  creatures  walk  the  earth 
Unseen,  both  when  we  wake,  and  when  we  sleep  : 
All  these  with  ceaseless  praise  his  works  behold, 
Both  day  and  night.     How  often,  from  the  steep 
Of  echoing  hill  or  thicket,  have  we  heard 
Celestial  voices  to  the  midnight  air, 
Sole,  or  responsive  each  to  other's  note 
Singing  their  great  Creator !     Oft  in  bands 
While  they  keep  watch,  or  nightly  rounding  walk, 
With  heavenly  touch  of  instrumental  sounds 
In  full  harmonic  number  joined,  their  songs 
Divide  the  night,  and  lift  our  thoughts  to  Heaven. 

P.  L.  5.  144-204  : 

Lowly  they  bowed,  adoring,  and  began 
Their  orisons,  each  morning  duly  paid 
In  various  style  ;  for  neither  various  style 
Nor  holy  rapture  wanted  they  to  praise 
Their  Maker,  in  fit  strains  pronounced  or  sung 
Unmeditated  ;  such  prompt  eloquence 

1  As  descant  implies  improvisation  on  a  set  theme,  Milton  must 
have  in  mind  something  of  the  nature  of  a  plain-song,  which  the 
nightingale  accompanies.  Possibly  he  intends  to  picture  two  or 
more  nightingales,  singing  alternately  or  in  harmony,  the  one  a 
plain-song,  the  other  a  descant.     Cf.  1.  771  : 

These,  lulled  by  nightingales,  embraoing  slept. 
More  probably,  however,  it  is  the  music  of  Nature  which  supplies 
the  plain-song  to  which  the  nightingale  extemporizes  its  variations. 
Cf.  De  Sphaer.  Con.  below,  Appendix  IV,  p.   134,  1.  7  ;  L.  186. 


Appendix  I  117 

Flowed  from  their  lips,  in  prose  or  numerous  verse, 

More  tuneable  than  needed  lute  or  harp 

To  add  more  sweetness  ;  and  they  thus  began  : 

"  These  are  thy  glorious  works,  Parent  of  good, 
Almighty !  thine  this  universal  frame, 
Thus  wondrous  fair :  thyself  how  wondrous  then ! 
Unspeakable  !  who  sitt'st  above  these  Heavens 
To  us  invisible,  or  dimly  seen 
In  these  thy  lowest  works  ;  yet  these  declare 
Thy  goodness  beyond  thought,  and  power  divine.1 
Speak,  ye  who  best  can  tell,  ye  Sons  of  Light, 
Angels — for  ye  behold  him,  and  with  songs 
And  choral  symphonies,  day  without  night, 
Circle  his  throne  rejoicing — ye  in  Heaven  ; 
On  earth  join  all  ye  creatures,  to  extol 
Him  first,  him  last,  him  midst,  and  without  end. 
Fairest  of  stars,  last  in  the  train  of  night, 
If  better  thou  belong  not  to  the  dawn, 
Sure  pledge  of  day,  that  crown'st  the  smiling  morn 
With  thy  bright  circlet,  praise  him  in  thy  sphere 
While  day  arises,  that  sweet  hour  of  prime. 
Thou  Sun,  of  this  great  world  both  eye  and  soul, 
Acknowledge  him  thy  greater,  sound  his  praise 
In  thy  eternal  course,  both  when  thou  climb'st, 
And  when  high    noon    hast  gained,   and  when   thou 

fall'st. 
Moon,  that  now  meet'st  the  orient  Sun,  now  fliest, 
With  the  fixed  stars,  fixed  in  their  orb  that  flies, 
And  ye  five  other  wandering  Fires,  that  move 
In  mystic  dance,  not  without  song,  resound 
His  praise  who  out  of  darkness  called  up  light. 
Air,  and  ye  Elements,  the  eldest  birth 
Of  Nature's  womb,  that  in  quaternion  run 

1  In  describing  this  universal  music  Milton  gradually  descends 
from  Heaven  itself  through  the  various  spheres  to  the  earth  and  the 
forces  of  Nature.  Criticism  of  the  accuracy  of  the  system  is  un- 
necessary, for  the  conception  is  frankly  poetical.  Cf.  Spenser,  F.  Q.  2. 
12.  33  ;  70-71  ;  Tasso,  G.  L.  16.  12  ;  and  see  above,  pp.  77-78. 


118  Milton's  Knowledge  of  Music 

Perpetual  circle,  multiform,  and  mix 

And  nourish  all  things,  let  your  ceaseless  change 

Vary  to  our  great  Maker  still  new  praise. 

Ye  Mists  and  Exhalations  that  now  rise 

From  hill  or  steaming  lake,  dusky  or  gray, 

Till  the  sun  paint  your  fleecy  skirts  with  gold, 

In  honour  to  the  world's  great  Author  rise, 

Whether  to  deck  with  clouds  the  uncoloured  sky, 

Or  wet  the  thirsty  earth  with  falling  showers, 

Rising  or  falling,  still  advance  his  praise. 

His  praise,  ye  Winds,  that  from  four  quarters  blow, 

Breathe  soft  or  loud  ;  and  wave  your  tops,  ye  Pines, 

With  every  plant,  in  sign  of  worship  wave. 

Fountains,  and  ye  that  warble,  as  ye  flow, 

Melodious  murmurs,  warbling  tune  his  praise. 

Join  voices  all  ye  living  Souls  ;  ye  Birds, 

That  singing  up  to  Heaven-gate  ascend, 

Bear  on  your  wings  and  in  your  notes  his  praise. 

Ye  that  in  waters  glide,  and  ye  that  walk 

The  earth,  and  stately  tread,  or  lowly  creep, 

Witness  if  I  be  silent,  morn  or  even, 

To  hill  or  valley,  fountain,  or  fresh  shade, 

Made  vocal  by  my  song,  and  taught  his  praise. 

P.  L.  5.  618-627  : 

That  day,  as  other  solemn  days,  they  spent 

In  song  and  dance  about  the  sacred  hill, 

Mystical  dance,  which  yonder  starry  sphere 

Of  planets  and  of  fixed  in  all  her  wheels 

Resembles  nearest  ;  mazes  intricate,1 

Eccentric,  intervolved,  yet  regular 

Then  most  when  most  irregular  they  seem, 

And  in  their  motions  Harmony  divine  2 

So  smoothes  her  charming  tones,  that  God's  own  ear 

Listens  delighted. 

1  Cf.  Plato,   Timaew  40.     (Quoted  below,  Appendix  V,  p.  144.) 

2  The  personified  Harmony  seems  to  be  a  reminiscence  of  Plato's 
Sirens,  Rep.  10.  617,  and  of  their  adaptation  in  S.  M.  8. 


Appendix  I  119 

P.  L.  6.  59-68  : 

Nor  with  less  dread  the  loud 
Ethereal  trumpet  from  on  high  gan  blow  : 
At  which  command  the  powers  militant, 
That  stood  for  Heaven,  in  mighty  quadrate  joined 
Of  union  irresistible,  moved  on 
In  silence  their  bright  legions,  to  the  sound 
Of  instrumental  harmony,1  that  breathed 
Heroic  ardor  to  adventurous  deeds 
Under  their  god-like  leaders,  in  the  cause 
Of  God  and  his  Messiah. 


P.  L.  7.  30-38  : 

Still  govern  thou  my  song, 
Urania,  and  fit  audience  find,  though  few. 
But  drive  far  off  the  barbarous  dissonance 
Of  Bacchus  and  his  revellers,  the  race 
Of  that  wild  rout  that  tore  the  Thracian  bard 
In  Rhodope,  where  woods  and  rocks  had  ears 
To  rapture,  till  the  savage  clamour  drowned 
Both  harp  and  voice  ;  nor  could  the  Muse  defend 
Her  son. 


P.  L.  7.  252-260  : 

Thus  was  the  first  day  even  and  morn; 
Nor  past  uncelebrated,  nor  unsung 
By  the  celestial  quires,  when  orient  light 
Exhaling  first  from  darkness  they  beheld, 
Birth-day  of  Heaven  and  earth ;  with  joy  and  shout 
The  hollow  universal  orb  they  filled, 
And  touched  their  golden  harps,  and  hymning  praised 
God  and  his  works ;  Creator  him  they  sung, 
Both  when  first  evening  was,  and  when  first  morn. 


1  The  instrumental  harmony  was  probably  in  the  Dorian  mode, 

similar  to  that  of  the  "  flutes  and  soft  recorders  "  of  P.  L.  1.  554. 

m 


1 20  Milton  s  Knowledge  of  Music 

P.  L.  1.  433-436  : 

From  branch  to  branch  the  smaller  birds  with  song 
Solaced  the  woods,  and  spread  their  painted  wings 
Till  even  ;  nor  then  the  solemn  nightingale 
Ceased  warbling,  but  all  night  tuned  her  soft  lays. 

P.  L.  7.  557-565  : 

Up  he  rode, 
Followed  with  acclamation  and  the  sound 
Symphonious  of  ten  thousand  harps  that  tuned 
Angelic  harmonies.     The  earth,  the  air 
Resounded  (thou  remember'st,  for  thou  heard'st) 
The  heavens  and  all  the  constellations  rung, 
The  planets  in  their  stations  listening  stood, 
While  the  bright  pomp  ascended  jubilant. 
"  Open,  ye  everlasting  gates  !  "  they  sung. 

P.  L.  7.  594-599  : 

The  harp 
Had  work  and  rested  not,  the  solemn  pipe 
And  dulcimer,  all  organs  of  sweet  stop, 
All  sounds  on  fret  by  string  or  golden  wire, 
Tempered  soft  tunings,  intermixed  with  voice 
Choral  or  unison. 

P.  L.  8.  261-266  : 

About  me  round  I  saw 
Hill,  dale,  and  shady  woods,  and  sunny  plains, 
And  liquid  lapse  of  murmuring  streams  ;  by  these, 
Creatures  that  lived  and  moved,  and  walked  or  flew, 
Birds  on  the  branches  warbling  ;  all  things  smiled, 
With  fragrance  and  with  joy  my  heart  o'erf lowed. 

P.  L.  8.  513-520  : 

The  earth 
Gave  sign  of  gratulation,  and  each  hill ; 
Joyous  the  birds  ;  fresh  gales  and  gentle  airs 
Whispered  it  to  the  woods,  and  from  their  wings 


Appendix  I  121 

Flung  rose,  flung  odours  from  the  spicy  shrub, 
Disporting,  till  the  amorous  bird  of  night 
Sung  spousal,  and  bid  haste  the  evening  star 
On  his  hill-top,  to  light  the  bridal  lamp. 

P.  L.  11.  556-563  : 

He  looked,  and  saw  a  spacious  plain,  whereon 
Were  tents  of  various  hue  ;  by  some  were  herds 
Of  cattle  grazing ;  others  whence  the  sound 
Of  instruments  that  made  melodious  chime 
Was  heard,  of  harp  and  organ  ;  and  who  moved 
Their  stops  and  chords  was  seen 1 ;  his  volant  touch 
Instinct,  through  all  proportions  low  and  high 
Fled  and  pursued  transverse  the  resonant  fugue. 

19.  P.  R.  2.  354-365  (1671)  : 

Under  the  trees  now  tripped,  now  solemn  stood 
Nymphs  of  Diana's  train,  and  Naiades 

1  The  visionary  organist  is  Jubal,  "  the  father  of  all  such  as 
handle  the  harp  and  organ  "  (Genesis  4.  21).  Milton  builds  up  from 
this  slight  Scriptural  hint,  by  his  technical  knowledge  of  organ - 
playing,  a  picture  of  the  greatest  complexity,  yet  accurate  in  every 
detail.  The  organist  is  evidently  improvising,  with  volant,  i.  e., 
light,  flying  touch.  Instinct  does  not  necessarily  mean  "  instinctively.' * 
Milton  probably  has  the  Latin  instinctus  in  mind  and  intends  to 
express  the  divine  inspiration  which  governs  the  musician's  touch. 
The  proportions,  or  mathematical  relations  of  the  music,  are  low 
and  high  not  as  differing  in  pitch  but  in  complexity.  Simple  inter- 
vals or  rhythms  are  naturally  termed  low.  Conversely,  the  more 
complex  proportions  are  high.  Cf.  the  table  in  Morley,  p.  38,  and 
see  above,  Appendix  I,  p.  Ill,  n.  The  word-order,  "  low  and  high," 
seems  inconsistent  with  a  conventional  reference  to  variations  of 
pitch.  The  organist  chases  his  themes  back  and  forth  (transverse) 
through  the  intricate  fugue  structure,  sounding  them  again  and 
again  (resonant).  Milton's  fugue  was  not,  of  course,  of  the  con- 
struction which  we  find  perfected  in  Bach.  It  was  chiefly  in  strict 
canon.  In  the  so-called  "  unlimited  fugue,"  considerable  freedom 
of  invention  was  possible.  It  was  this  style,  as  developed  by  Fresco- 
baldi,  that  Milton  probably  had  in  mind. 


122  Milton's  Knowledge  of  Music 

With  fruits  and  flowers  from  Amalthea's  horn, 

And  ladies  of  the  Hesperides,  that  seemed 

Fairer  than  feigned  of  old,  or  fabled  since 

Of  fairy  damsels  met  in  forest  wide 

By  knights  of  Logres,  or  of  Lyones, 

Lancelot,  or  Pelleas,  or  Pellenore. 

And  all  the  while  harmonious  airs  were  heard 

Of  chiming  strings  or  charming  pipes,  and  winds 

Of  gentlest  gale  Arabian  odours  fanned 

From  their  soft  wings,  and  Flora's  earliest  smells.1 

P.  R.  4.  244-260 : 

See  there  the  olive-grove  of  Academe, 

Plato's  retirement,  where  the  Attic  bird 

Trills  her  thick-warbled  notes  the  summer  long  ; 

There  flowery  hill  Hymettus,  with  the  sound 

Of  bees'  industrious  murmur,  oft  invites 

To  studious  musing  ;  there  Ilissus  rolls 

His  whispering  stream  ;  within  the  walls  then  view 

The  schools  of  ancient  sages — his  who  bred 

Great  Alexander  to  subdue  the  world, 

Lyceum  there,  and  painted  Stoa  next : 

2  There  shalt  thou  hear  and  learn  the  secret  power 

Of  harmony,  in  tones  and  numbers  3  hit 

By  voice  or  hand  ;  and  various-measured  verse, 

Aeolian  charms  and  Dorian  lyric  odes, 

And  his,  who  gave  them  breath,  but  higher  sung, 

Blind  Melesigenes  thence  Homer  called, 

Whose  poem  Phoebus  challenged  for  his  own. 

1  The  description  of  these  tempting  delights  may  have  been 
suggested  by  Spenser's  enchanted  bower,  F.  Q.  2.   12.  70-71. 

2  Milton  connects  the  study  of  music  most  naturally  with  the 
schools  of  philosophy.  His  own  theory  of  music  was  largely  derived 
from  those  sources. 

3  Tones  and  numbers  are  constrasted  as  representing  the  art  and 
the  theory  of  music.  Both  phases  were  prominent  in  the  culture  of 
ancient  Greece.  Possibly  Milton  also  has  in  mind  the  contrast 
between  variation  of  pitch  (tones)  and  rhythm  (numbers  as  the 
two  elements  in  melody). 


Appendix  I  123 

19.  S.  A.  206-209  (1671)  : 

Immeasurable  strength  they  might  behold 
In  me,  of  wisdom  nothing  more  than  mean  ; 
This  with  the  other  should,  at  least,  have  paired  ; 
These  two,  proportioned  ill,  drove  me  transverse.1 

1  A  distinct  musical  metaphor  is  contained  in  these  lines.  They 
have  usually  been  explained  as  a  continuation  of  the  metaphor  of 
a  ship  occurring  eight  lines  above.  This  explanation  is  based 
entirely  on  the  words  drove  me  transverse,  which  are  compared  with 
P.  L.  4.  488.  But  the  rest  of  the  passage  has  no  meaning  when 
applied  to  a  ship.  On  the  other  hand  the  word  transverse  is  used 
in  P.  L.  11.  563  in  a  distinctly  musical  sense.  This,  with  the  re- 
ference to  proportion,  seems  to  indicate  a  musical  meaning  here.  If 
the  life  of  Samson  is  compared  with  a  piece  of  music  in  which  the 
harmony  of  the  theme  has  been  disturbed,  the  whole  metaphor  be- 
comes clear.  In  the  construction  of  this  musical  composition,  strength, 
the  dominant  note,  was  immeasurable.  Wisdom,  which  should  have 
harmonized  with  it,  was  only  moderate.  Possibly  Milton  intended 
a  pun  on  the  word  mean,  which  in  music  represents  a  middle  note, 
completing  a  triad.  If  strength  and  wisdom  could  not  harmonize, 
in  the  sense  of  a  concord  of  two  different  notes,  they  should,  at  least, 
have  paired,  that  is,  sounded  in  unison.  But,  being  proportioned  ill, 
that  is,  incorrect  in  their  relationship,  they  upset  the  harmony  of 
the  entire  composition.  It  is  by  no  means  an  unusual  type  of  figure 
in  Milton,  for  he  is  fond  of  playing  upon  the  Platonic  conception 
of  the  soul  of  man  as  a  harmony.  Cf.  Shakespeare's  "  sweet  bells 
jangled  out  of  time  and  harsh." 


APPENDIX  II 

Milton's  Friendship  with  Henry  Lawes, 
the  Composer 

Sonnet  XIII. 

To  my  friend  Mr.  Henry  Lawes. 

Harry,  whose  tuneful  and  well-measured  song 
First  taught  our  English  music  how  to  span 
Words  with  just  note  and  accent,  not  to  scan 
With  Midas'  ears,  committing  short  and  long  ; 
Thy  worth  and  skill  exempts  thee  from  the  throng, 
With  praise  enough  for  envy  to  look  wan  ; 
To  after  age  thou  shalt  be  writ  the  man 
That  with  smooth  air  couldst  humor  best  our  tongue. 
Thou  honour'st  Verse,  and  Verse  must  lend  her  wing 
To  honour  thee,  the  priest  of  Phoebus'  quire, 
That  tun'st  their  happiest  lines  in  hymn  or  story. 
Dante  shall  give  Fame  leave  to  set  thee  higher 
Than  his  Casella,  whom  he  wooed  to  sing, 
Met  in  the  milder  shades  of  Purgatory. 

The  allusions  to  Lawes  in  Comus: 

.  .  .  But  first  I  must  put  off 
These  my  sky-robes,  spun  out  of  Iris'  woof, 
And  take  the  weeds  and  likeness  of  a  swain 
That  to  the  service  of  this  house  belongs  * ; 

1  Lines  84-88  of  the  Comus  refer  to  Lawes'  connection  with  the 
Earl  of  Bridgewatcr's  family.  As  music-teacher  he  could  be  said 
to  belong  "  to  the  service  of  this  house."  The  implied  comparison 
with  Apollo  and  Orpheus,  whose  music  exerted  a  power  even  over 
the  forces  of  Nature,  is  the  highest  compliment  of  which  Milton  is 
capable.  A  similar  compliment  is  given  in  lines  494-496  (cf.  also 
(>23  ff.).  The  reference  to  "  his  madrigal  "  should  be  taken  literally 
as  denoting  a  style  of  music  in  which  Lawes  was  well  versed,  not 


Appendix  II  125 

Who,  with,  his  soft  pipe  and  smooth-dittied  song, 
Well  knows  to  still  the  wild  winds  when  they  roar, 

merely  as  "  pastoral  song."  In  staging  the  Comus,  Lawes  took 
some  liberties  with  Milton's  text.  He  used  a  portion  of  the  epi- 
logue, with  slight  changes,  as  an  opening  song,  beginning  "  From 
the  heavens  now  I  fly."  It  appears  thus  in  the  Bridgewater  MS. 
In  the  song  Sweet  Echo,  a  line  of  Milton's  first  draft,  "  and  hold  a 
counterpoint  to  all  Heaven's  harmonies,"  was  retained  instead 
of  the  revision  "  and  give  resounding  grace  to  all  Heaven's  har- 
monies." Hawkins  evidently  thought  that  Lawes  had  made  this 
change  to  a  more  technical  term,  and  called  it  "  a  quaint  alteration 
of  the  reading  .  .  .  which  none  but  a  musician  would  have  thought 
of."— Hawkins  4.  52.  He  is  quite  right  in  the  latter  remark,  but  the 
musician  was  Milton  himself,  not  Lawes. 

The  music  of  Sweet  Echo  is  printed  by  both  Hawkins  (3.  53) 
and  Burney  (3.  383)  as  a  good  example  of  Lawes'  style.  Back 
Shepherds  and  a  quotation  from  Sabrina  Fair  may  be  found  in 
the  Oxford  History  of  Music  3.  203.  Only  five  songs  are  known, 
the  other  two  being  From  the  heavens  and  Now  my  task.  These 
five  songs  are  in  the  British  Museum,  Add.  MSS.  11.  518,  and 
were  published  by  the  Mermaid  Society  in  1904.  They  cannot 
have  constituted  the  entire  music  of  the  masque,  for  the  stage 
directions  call  for  a  "  measure  ",  or  dance  of  Comus'  rabble,  and 
for  "  soft  music "  preceding  line  659.  Sabrina,  also,  after  line 
889,  "rises  .  .  .  and  sings".  The  song  Back  Shepherds  should 
be  followed  by  "a  second  song  ".  All  this  music  has  evidently 
been  lost. 

The  sonnet  to  Henry  Lawes  was  dated  by  Milton  himself,  Feb.  9, 
1645.  Two  copies  in  the  author's  own  hand  may  be  found  in  the 
Cambridge  Facsimile.  In  these  the  title  stands  as  above.  The 
sonnet  was  prefixed  by  Lawes  in  1648  to  the  Choice  Psalms,  the 
same  title  being  used.  But  in  the  edition  of  1673  of  Milton's  Poems 
the  sonnet  was  called  "  To  Mr.  Henry  Lawes  on  his  Airs."  This 
title,  with  a  variation  "  To  Mr.  H.  Lawes  on  the  publishing  his 
Airs,"  has  been  wrongly  retained  in  subsequent  editions,  and  has 
given  rise  to  a  very  natural  misunderstanding.  It  has  been  re- 
marked that  the  sonnet  appears  only  before  the  Psalms  of  Lawes, 
and  not  before  the  Airs  of  later  date.  See  the  discussion  in  Notes 
and  Queries,  2nd  Ser.  9.  337  ;  395  ;  492.  Assuming  that  the  title  "  On 
the  publishing  his  Airs  "  was  Milton's  own,  it  has  been  argued  that 
Lawes  must  have  intended  to  publish  his  airs  in  1645,  but  put  it 


126  Milton's  Knowledge  of  Music 

And  hush  the  waving  woods  .  .  . 

82-88. 
Thyrsis !     Whose  artful  strains  have  oft  delayed 

off  because  of  the  unfavorable  state  of  the  times,  and  possibly  also 
because  of  the  death  of  his  brother ;  and  that  he  used  the  sonnet 
for  the  Psalms  in  1648,  suppressing  part  of  the  title.  This  argument, 
of  course,  has  no  weight,  since  Milton's  own  title  is  shown  by  his 
MS.  to  be  "  To  my  friend  Mr.  Henry  Lawes."  The  question  of 
the  poet's  real  intentions  in  writing  the  sonnet,  however,  is  an 
interesting  one.  A  marginal  note  in  the  Choice  Psalms  tells  us  that 
"  story  "  (Son.  13.  11)  refers  to  "  the  story  of  Ariadne  set  by  him 
to  music."  Now,  the  Story  of  Theseus  and  Ariadne  is  the  first 
piece  in  the  first  book  of  Airs,  1653,  and  is  particularly  noticed  by 
several  of  the  writers  of  commendatory  verses  prefixed  to  that 
collection.  If  the  marginal  note  of  the  Choice  Psalms  tells  the 
truth,  then,  either  Milton  did  intend  the  Sonnet  for  the  actual  Airs, 
or  else  he  was  familiar  with  Theseus  and  Ariadne  in  MS. form.  Either 
conclusion  is  interesting.  For  in  both  cases  some  light  is  thrown 
upon  the  intimacy  of  the  poet  and  the  musician.  It  is  perhaps 
safest  to  decide  that  the  sonnet  was  a  mere  private  expression  of 
friendship,  and  that  it  was  used  by  Lawes  in  his  next  publication, 
with  the  permission  of  the  author. 

The  real  interest  of  the  sonnet  lies  in  the  opinion  which  Milton 
expresses  of  the  music  of  Lawes.  Is  it  to  be  considered  the  ex- 
aggerated and  unreasonable  praise  of  a  friend,  or  the  critical  comment 
of  a  scholarly  musician  ?  Musical  historians,  on  the  whole,  are  not 
inclined  to  agree  with  Milton.  Burney  says  :  "  The  notes  set  by 
Lawes  to  the  song  of  Sweet  Echo  neither  constitute  an  air,  nor 
melody  ;  and,  indeed,  they  are  even  too  frequently  prolonged  for 
recitative.  It  is  difficult  to  give  a  name,  from  the  copious  tech- 
nica  with  which  the  art  of  Music  is  furnished,  to  such  a  series  of 
unmeaning  sounds.  Nor  does  the  composer,  otherwise  than  com- 
paratively, seem  to  merit  the  great  praises  bestowed  upon  him  by 
Milton  and  others  for  his  '  exact  accommodation  of  the  accent  of 
the  music  and  the  quantities  of  the  verse,'  which  perhaps,  without 
a  very  nice  examination,  has  been  granted  to  him  by  late  writers. 
As  no  accompaniment,  but  a  dry  bass,  seems  to  have  been  given  to 
this  song  by  the  composer,  it  is  difficult  to  imagine  how  the  Lady 
was  able 

1  to  wake  the  courteous  Echo 
To  give  an  answer  from  her  mossy  couch.' 


Appendix  II  127 

The  huddling  brook  to  hear  his  madrigal, 
And  sweetened  every  musk-rose  of  the  dale. 

494-496. 

Here  was  a  favorable  opportunity  suggested  to  the  musician  for 
instrumental  ritornales  and  iterations,  of  which,  however,  he  made 
no  use."  (Burney  3.  382).  After  quoting  the  song,  Sweet  Echo, 
entire,  Burney  proceeds  to  point  out  half  a  dozen  "  inaccuracies 
of  musical  accentuation,"  which  seem  to  him  "  indefensible."  More- 
over he  finds  that  "  the  interval  from  F  sharp  to  E  natural,  the 
seventh  above,  is  certainly  one  of  the  most  disagreeable  notes  in 
melody  that  the  scale  could  furnish.  I  should  be  glad,  indeed," 
he  concludes,  "to  be  informed  by  the  most  exclusive  admirer  of 
old  ditties,  what  is  the  musical  merit  of  this  song,  except  insipid 
simplicity,  and  its  having  been  set  for  a  single  voice,  instead  of 
being  mangled  by  the  many-headed  monster,  Madrigal  ?  "  (Ibid. 
3.  384).  Later  he  says,  "  I  have  examined  with  care  and  candor  all 
the  works  I  can  find  of  this  composer  ,  which  are  still  very  numerous, 
and  am  obliged  to  own  myself  unable,  by  their  excellence,  to  account 
for  the  great  reputation  he  acquired,  and  the  numerous  panegyrics 
bestowed  upon  him  by  the  greatest  poets  and  musicians  of  his  time. 
His  temper  and  conversation  must  certainly  have  endeared  him  to 
his  acquaintance,  and  rendered  them  partial  to  his  productions ; 
and  the  praise  of  such  writers  as  Milton  and  Waller  is  durable 
fame.  .  .  .  But  bad  as  the  music  of  Lawes  appears  to  us,  it  seems 
to  have  been  sincerely  admired  by  his  contemporaries,  in  general. 
It  is  not  meant  to  insinuate  that  it  was  pleasing  to  poets  only, 
but  that  it  was  more  praised  by  them  than  any  other  music  of 
the  same  time."  (Ibid.  3.  393-395).  (See  also  the  criticisms  in 
Hawkins  4.  56,  Davey,  p.  289,  the  Oxford  History  of  Music  pp.  202-210, 
and  Grove's  Diet.  s.  v.  Lawes.  Keightley,  Life,  pp.  312-313,  quotes 
Prof.  Edward  Taylor  in  an  enthusiastic  defense  of  Lawes  against 
the  attacks  of  Burney.) 

A  modern  estimate  of  Henry  Lawes'  music  would  be  forced  to 
admit  its  excellence.  His  songs  are  far  in  advance  of  his  time,  and 
it  would  seem  that  the  minds  of  the  poets,  carefully  trained  in 
combining  sense  with  rhythm,  were  the  only  ones  to  appreciate  the 
fact.  Lawes  cannot  claim  credit  for  inventing  recitative.  He 
composed  in  a  style  usually  called  "  aria  parlante,"  in  which  he 
made  the  prosody  of  his  text  his  principal  care.  Dr.  Burney's 
criticism  of  Sweet  Echo  is  quite  just  as  regards  the  musical  accen- 
tuation and  certain  intervals,   but  Lawes'  work   as  a  whole  shows 


128  Milton's  Knowledge  of  Music 

a  very  consistent  use  of  "  just  note  and  accent."  His  melodies 
are  also  interesting,  and  in  the  boldness  of  some  of  the  intervals 
they  are  distinctly  modern. 

It  will  be  noted  that  Milton  emphasizes  not  only  the  well-ordered 
arrangement  of  Lawes'  music,  but  its  melodic  effectiveness  as  well. 
His  "  song  "  is  not  only  "  well-measured,"  but  "  tuneful "  ;  and  his 
air  is  "  smooth."     (Cf.  "  smooth-dittied  song,"  in  C.  85.) 

He  regards  alike  the  sense  of  the  words  and  the  flow  of  the  music, 
and  is  never  guilty  of  "  committing  short  and  long." 


APPENDIX  III 
Leonora  Baroni,  the  Singer 

I. 

Ad  Leonoram  Romae  canentem. 

Angelus  unicuique  suus  (sic  credite,  gentes) 

Obtigit  aethereis  ales  ab  ordinibus. 

Quid  minim,  Leonora,  tibi  si  gloria  major  ? 

Nam  tua  praesentem  vox  sonat  ipsa  Deum. 

Aut  Deus,  aut  vacui  certe  mens  tertia  coeli, 

Per  tua  secreto  guttura  serpit  agens  ; 

Serpit  agens,  facilisque  docet  mortalia  corda 

Sensim  immortali  assuescere  posse  sono. 

Quod,  si  cuncta  quidem  Deus  est,  per  cunctaque  fusus, 

In  te  una  loquitur,  caetera  mutus  habet. 


II. 

Ad  Eandem. 

Altera  Torquatum  cepit  Leonora  poetam, 
Cuius  ab  insano  cessit  amore  furens. 
Ah !  miser  ille  tuo  quanto  felicius  aevo 
Perditus,  et  propter  te,  Leonora,  foret ! 
Et  te  Pieria  sensisset  voce  canentem 
Aurea  maternae  fila  movere  lyrae  ! 
Quamvis  Dircaeo  torsisset  lumina  Pentheo 
Saevior,  aut  totus  desipuisset  iners, 
Tu  tamen  errantes  caeca  vertigine  sensus 
Voce  eadem  poteras  composuisse  tua ; 
Et  poteras,  aegro  spirans  sub  corde  quietem, 
Flexanimo  cantu  restituisse  sibi. 

i 


130  Milton's  Knowledge  of  Music 

III. 

Ad  Eandetn. 

Credula  quid  liquidam  Sirena,  Neapoli,  jactas, 

Claraque  Parthenopes  fana  Acheloiados  ; 

Littoreamque  tua  defunctam  Naiada  ripa, 

Corpore  Chalcidico  sacra  dedisse  rogo  ? 

Ilia  quidem  vivitque,  et  amoena  Tibridis  unda 

Mutavit  rauci  murmura  Pausilipi. 

Illic,  Romulidum  studiis  ornata  secundis, 

Atque  homines  cantu  detinet  atque  deos. 

It  seems  to  have  been  the  fashion  to  address  epigrams  to 
Leonora.  A  volume  entitled  A  pplausi  poetici  alle  glorie  delta 
Signora  Leonora  Baroni  was  published  at  Rome  in  1639,  con- 
taining Greek,  Latin,  Italian,  French,  and  Spanish  poems  in 
praise  of  the  singer.1 

Giovanni  Battista  Doni,2  compares  both  her  and  her 
mother  with  the  poetess  Sappho. 3 

Fulvio  Testi  wrote  a  sonnet  in  praise  of  her  singing  and 
her  beauty.4 

An  interesting  eulogy  of  Leonora  is  to  be  found  in  a  Discours 
sur  la  Musique  d'ltalie  by  M.  Mangars,  Prior  of  S.  Peter  de 
Mac,  Paris,  1672  :  "  Leonora  has  fine  parts,  and  a  happy  judg- 
ment in  distinguishing  good  from  bad  music  ;  she  understands 
it  perfectly  well,  and  even  composes,  which  makes  her  ab- 
solute mistress  of  what  she  sings,  and  gives  her  the  most  exact 
pronunciation  and  expression  of  the  sense  of  the  words  .  .  . 
She  sings  with  an  air  of  confident  and  liberal  modesty,  and 
with  a  pleasing  gravity.  Her  voice  reaches  a  large  compass  of 
notes,  is  just,  clear,  and  melodious  ;  and  she  softens  or  raises 
it  without  constraint  or  grimace.  Her  raptures  and  sighs  are 
not  too  tender  ;  her  looks  have  nothing  impudent,  nor  do  her 

1  See  Nicias  Erythreus,  Pinacotheca  2.  427,  Lips.  1712. 
*  Cf.  p.  22. 

1  De  Praestantia  Musicae  Veteris,  1647,  2.  56.  See  Hawkins 
4.  196. 

4  Poesie  del  Conte  Fulvio  Testi,  Milano,  1658,  p.  122. 


Appendix  III  131 

gestures  betray  anything  beyond  the  reserve  of  a  modest  girl. 
In  passing  from  one  song  to  another,  she  shows  sometimes 
the  divisions  of  the  enharmonic  and  chromatic  species  with 
so  much  air  and  sweetness,  that  every  hearer  is  ravished  with 
that  delicate  and  difficult  mode  of  singing.  She  has  no  need 
of  any  person  to  assist  her  with  a  theorbo  or  viol,  one  of  which 
is  required  to  make  her  singing  complete  ;  for  she  plays  per- 
fectly well  herself  on  both  those  instruments.  In  short, 
I  have  been  so  fortunate  as  to  hear  her  sing  several  times 
above  thirty  different  airs,  with  second  and  third  stanzas 
of  her  own  composition.  But  I  must  not  forget,  that  one 
day  she  did  me  the  particular  favor  to  sing  with  her  mother 
and  her  sister ;  her  mother  played  upon  the  lute,  her  sister 
upon  the  harp,  and  herself  upon  the  theorbo.  This  concert, 
composed  of  three  fine  voices,  and  of  three  different  instru- 
ments, so  powerfully  captivated  my  senses,  and  threw  me 
into  such  raptures,  that  I  forgot  my  mortality,  et  crus  etre  dejct 
parmi  des  anges,  jouissant  des  contentements  des  bienheureux." x 
The  mention  of  the  mother's  lute  (lyra)  in  Ep.  2.  6, 
shows  that  Milton  himself  probably  heard  a  concert  of  the  kind 
described  above.  The  line  is  a  reminiscence  of  Buchanan's 
"  Aureaque  Orpheae  fila  fuisse  lyrae,"  El.  7,  noted  by  Todd, 
and  also  of  Ovid's  "  fila  dedisse  lyrae,"  Fast.  5.  105.2 

1  See  Bayle,  Diet,  s.  v.  Baroni,  quoted  by  Warton  and  Hawkins 
4.  197.  Cf.  also  Warton's  note  of  the  eulogy  of  Pietro  della  Velle, 
and  Masson,  Life  1.  751-753. 

2  See  p.  32,  and  s.  v.  lyra,  G. 


APPENDIX  IV 
An  Essay  read  in  the  Public  Schools 

On  the  Music  of  the  Spheres. 

If  there  is  any  chance,  fellow-students,  for  my  slender  abili- 
ties, after  you  have  listened  to  so  many  and  so  great  orators  to- 
day, I  also  shall  forthwith  try  to  express,  according  to  my 
small  measure,  my  good  will  towards  the  solemn  celebration 
of  this  day,  and  shall  follow,  at  a  distance,  as  it  were,  this 
day-long  triumph  of  eloquence.  While,  therefore,  I  com- 
pletely shun  and  dread  those  trite  and  commonplace  subjects 
of  discourse,  the  thought  of  this  day  and  also  of  those  who, 
as  I  rightly  suspected,  would  speak  worthily  of  the  occasion, 
kindles  and  immediately  arouses  my  mind  to  an  arduous 
attempt  with  some  other  new  material ;  and  these  two  in- 
fluences could  indeed  have  stimulated  even  some  sluggish  per- 
son and  have  sharpened  a  mind  otherwise  obtuse.  Therefore, 
it  occurs  to  me  to  offer,  with  open  hand,  as  they  say,  and  abun- 
dance of  oratory,  at  least  a  few  prefatory  words  concerning  that 
celestial  concent  about  which  there  is  soon  to  be  a  dispute 
with  closed  fist ;  but  I  shall  keep  track  of  the  course  of  time, 
which  at  once  urges  and  restrains  me.  Nevertheless,  my 
hearers,  I  should  wish  you  to  accept  these  words  as  though 
they  were  said  in  sport.  For  what  sane  man  would  have 
thought  that  Pythagoras,  that  god  among  philosophers,  to 
whose  name  all  mortals  of  his  age  yielded  the  palm  with  the 
most  sacred  veneration — who,  I  say,  would  have  thought 
that  he  would  ever  have  produced  publicly  an  opinion  of  so 
uncertain  foundation  ?  Surely,  if  ever  he  taught  the  har- 
mony of  the  spheres,  and  the  circling  of  the  heavens  to  the 
charm  of  melody,  he  wished  by  this  wisely  to  signify  the  most 
friendly  relations  of  the  orbs,  and  their  uniform  revolutions 
for  ever  according  to  the  fixed  law  of  fate.  In  this,  to  be  sure, 
he  has  imitated  both  the  poets  and,  what  is  almost  the  same, 
the  divine  oracles,  by  whom  no  sacred  and  hidden  mystery 


Appendix  IV  133 

is  exhibited  to  the  people  unless  enveloped  in  some  veil  and 
disguise.1  This  was  done  by  that  best  interpreter  of  Mother 
Nature,  Plato,  when  he  told  how  certain  Sirens  sit  upon  the 
separate  heavenly  orbs,  that  by  their  honeyed  song  they  may 
enchant  both  gods  and  men.2  Further,  this  universal  con- 
cord and  lovely  concent,  which  Pythagoras,  in  poetic  fashion, 
expressed  by  harmony,  Homer  also  hinted  at  very  strongly 
in  that  golden  chain  of  Jove  suspended  from  Heaven.  3 

But  Aristotle,  the  imitator  and  constant  calumniator  of 
Pythagoras  and  Plato,  eager  to  pave  his  way  to  glory  with  the 
wrecked  theories  of  men  so  great,  imputed  to  Pythagoras 
this  unheard  symphony  of  the  heavens,  and  music  of  the 
spheres.4  But  if  either  fate  or  chance  had  suffered,  O  father 
Pythagoras,  that  your  soul  in  its  flight  should  have  passed 
into  me,  certainly  you  would  not  then  lack  one  to  defend  you 
readily,  however  deep  your  disrepute  and  long  its  durance. 
And  yet  why  should  not  the  celestial  bodies,  in  those  perennial 
circuits,  produce  musical  sounds  ?  Or  does  it  not  seem  just 
to  you,  Aristotle  ?  Verily,  I  should  scarcely  believe  that  your 
intelligences  could  have  endured  that  sedentary  labor  of 
rolling  the  heavens  for  so  many  ages,  unless  that  ineffable 
melody  of  the  stars  had  kept  them  from  leaving  their  places, 
and  persuaded  them  to  stay  by  the  charm  of  music.  But 
suppose  you  take  away  from  heaven  those  fair  intelligences, 
then  you  both  give  up  the  ministering  gods  to  drudgery,  and 
condemn  them  to  a  treadmill.  Nay,  Atlas  himself  would  long 
ago  have  withdrawn  his  shoulders,  to  the  immediate  ruin  of  the 
heavens,  had  not  that  sweet  concent  charmed  him  with  the 

1  By  this  explanation  of  the  Pythagorean  theory  Milton  shows 
clearly  his  own  interpretation  of  the  mystical  notion  of  a  universal 
harmony.     Cf.  above,  pp.  96-98. 

2  Singulis  coelis  orbibus  Sirenas  quasdam  insidere  tradidit.  Milton 
adapts  the  words  of  Macrobius  {Comm.  in  Somn.  Scip.  2.  3) :  '  sin- 
gulas  ait  Sirenas  singulis  orbibus  insidere,'  referring  to  Plato,  Rep. 
10.  617. 

3  Cf.  the  description  in  P.  L.  3.  570  ff. 

4  A  reference  to  Aristotle's  criticism  of  the  Pythagorean  system, 
Be  Coelo  2.  2-10. 


134  Milton  s  Knowledge  of  Music 

greatest  pleasure  while  panting  and  sweating  under  his  burden. 
Besides,  the  Dolphin,  utterly  disgusted  at  the  stars,  would 
long  ago  have  preferred  the  seas  to  heaven,  had  he  not  been 
well  aware  that  the  vocal  orbs  of  heaven  far  surpassed  the 
lyre  of  Arion  in  sweetness.1  What  say  you  to  the  belief  that 
the  very  lark  at  day-break  flies  directly  into  the  clouds,  and 
that  the  nightingale  passes  the  whole  solitude  of  night  in  song, 
that  they  may  order  their  melodies  according  to  the  harmonic 
relations  of  heaven,  to  which  they  attentively  listen  ?  Thus 
also  the  fable  of  the  Muses  dancing  day  and  night  around 
about  Jove's  altars  2  has  prevailed  from  the  remotest  begin- 
ning of  things  ;  thus  to  Phoebus  has  been  attributed  from  most 
ancient  times  skill  on  the  lyre.  Thus  venerable  antiquity 
believed  that  Harmony  was  the  daughter  of  Jove  and  Electra, 
for  when  she  was  given  to  Cadmus  in  marriage,  the  whole 
chorus  of  the  heavens  is  said  to  have  sounded  in  concord.* 
But  even  supposing  that  no  one  on  earth  has  ever  heard  this 
symphony  of  the  stars,  shall  all  things  above  the  sphere  of 
the  moon  be  therefore  mute,  and  sunk  in  drowsy  stupor  ? 
Nay  rather  let  us  accuse  our  own  feeble  ears,  which  either 
cannot,  or  deserve  not  to  receive  songs  and  sounds  so  sweet. 
But  this  melody  of  the  heavens  is  not  wholly  inaudible  ;  for 
who  would  have  thought,  O  Aristotle,  of  your  goats  capering 
in  mid-air,4  unless  because  they  clearly  heard,  by  their 
nearness,  the  heavens  giving  harmonious  sounds,  and  were  un- 
able to  restrain  themselves  from  following  the  choirs  ?  But  Py- 
thagoras alone  among  mortals  is  said  to  have  heard  this  con- 

1  Cf.  Ovid,  Fast.  2.  80  ff. 

2  Cf.  II  P.  47-48  : 

And  hears  the  Muses  in  a  ring 
Aye  round  about  Jove's  altar  sing. 

3  Harmonia  was  especially  honored  by  the  gods  upon  the  occasion 
of  her  marriage  with  Cadmus.  Apollo,  the  Muses,  and  the  Graces 
are  said  to  have  sung  and  played,  and  she  received  gifts  from  all  the 
gods.  Milton  alters  the  story  so  as  to  include  the  entire  harmony 
of  heaven.  He  probably  derived  his  conception  from  Diodorus 
5.  49.     Cf.  also  Pind.   Pyth.  3.  90  (160);  Eurip.    Phoen.  822. 

1  Cf.  Aristotle,  Meteor.   1.  4.  6  ;  Gen.  An.  4.  4.   15. 


Appendix  IV  135 

cent ;  unless  there  had  been  someone,  both  a  good  genius  and  an 
inhabitant  of  heaven,  who  perchance  by  command  of  the  gods 
came  down  to  fill  the  minds  of  men  with  sacred  learning,  and 
to  recall  them  to  virtue  ;  at  least  he  was  certainly  a  man  who 
contained  all  the  numbers  of  virtues  in  himself,  and  who  was 
worthy  to  mingle  his  words  with  those  of  the  gods  themselves, 
similar  to  his  own,  and  to  enjoy  the  consort  of  the  celestials,1 
and  therefore  I  do  not  wonder  that  the  gods  in  very  friendship 
permitted  him  to  have  a  share  2  in  the  most  hidden  secrets 
of  Nature.3  But  that  we  should  have  very  little  perception 
of  this  harmony  seems  to  have  been  caused  by  the  audacity 
of  the  thievish  Prometheus,4  which  brought  so  many  evils 
upon  men,  and  at  the  same  time  took  away  from  us  this  hap- 
piness which  we  may  never  enjoy  as  long  as  we  sink  deeper  and 
deeper  into  the  violence  and  lusts  of  brutes.  For  how  can 
we  be  made  capable  of  grasping  this  celestial  sound  when  our 
minds,  as  Persius  says,5  are  bent  down  towards  the  earth 
and  completely  empty  of  celestial  things?  But  if  we  bore 
pure,  chaste,  snow-clean  hearts,  as  once  Pythagoras  did,  then 

1  Cf.  "  celestial  consort,"  S.  M.  27. 

*  Abditissimis  eum  naturae  secretis  interesse  permiserint.  Cf. 
Macrobius,  Comm.  in  Somn.  Scip.  2.  4.  15  :  "  Sed  voluit  intellegi, 
quod  se  eius  qui  caelestibus  meruit  interesse  secretis  completae 
aures  sunt  soni  magnitudine,  superest,  ut  ceterorum  hominum 
sensus    mundanae   concinentiae    non   capiat   auditum." 

3  Cf.  above,  p.  98.  In  this  description  of  Pythagoras  Milton  may 
well  have  had  in  mind  the  character  of  Christ  also. 

*  The  myth  of  Prometheus  and  his  theft  of  the  divine  fire  cor- 
responds here  to  the  story  of  Adam's  disobedience,  when 

disproportioned  Sin 
Jarred  against  Nature's  chime,  and  with  harsh  din 
Broke  the  fair  music  that  all  creatures  made.    S.  M.  19-21. 

5  In  terras  curvae  sunt,  et  coelestium  prorsus  inanes.  Persius  (2. 61) 
reads,  "  0  curvae  in  terris  animae  et  caelestium  inanis."  Milton  evi- 
dently took  the  reference  from  Lactantius,  Instit.  Div.  ii.  2,  where 
it  is  quoted  "  O  curvae  in  terras  animae  et  caelestium  inanes." 
Lactantius  interprets  the  line  much  as  Milton  does  here,  implying  a 
difference  between  man  and  the  quadrupeds. 


136  Milton  s  Knowledge  of  Music 


indeed  our  ears  should  resound  with  that  sweetest  music  of 
the  circling  stars  and  be  filled  with  it.  Then  all  things 
should  return  immediately  as  if  to  that  golden  age.1  Then, 
free  at  last  from  our  miseries,  we  should  lead  a  life  of  ease,  bles- 
sed and  enviable  even  by  the  gods.  Here,  however,  time 
cuts  me  off,  as  in  the  midst  of  my  journey,  and  very  oppor- 
tunely, I  suspect,  for  I  should  not  with  my  irregular  and  un- 
rhythmical style  bawl  aloud  all  this  time,  when  I  am  pro- 
claiming a  harmony,  and  be  myself  the  obstruction  that  pre- 
vents your  hearing  it.  Therefore,  I  am  done  !  (Translation 
based  in  part  upon  Masson,  Life  1.  279—281). 

1  Cf.  H.  133-135. 

For  if  such  holy  song 

Enwrap  our  fancy  long, 

Time  will  run  back  and  fetch  the  Age  of  Gold. 


! 


APPENDIX  V 
The  Most  Important  Sources  of  Milton's  Theory  of  Music 

A.  Concerning  Number,  Motion,  and  Proportion. 

Plato,  Republic  7.  530-531  (tr.  Jowett)  : 

"Motion,  I  said,  has  many  forms,  and  not  one  only  ...  It 
would  seem,  I  said,  that  one  is  to  the  ears  what  the  other  is 
to  the  eyes  ;  for  I  conceive  that  as  the  eyes  are  appointed  to 
look  up  at  the  stars,  so  are  the  ears  to  hear  harmonious  motions 
.  .  .  There  is  a  perfection  which  all  knowledge  ought  to  reach 
and  which  our  pupils  ought  also  to  attain,  and  not  to  fall  short 
of  this,  as  I  was  saying  that  they  did  in  astronomy.  For  in 
the  science  of  harmony,  as  I  dare  say  you  know,  they  are 
equally  empirical.  The  sounds  and  consonances  which  they 
compare  are  those  which  are  heard  only,  and  their  labor,  like 
that  of  the  astronomers,  is  in  vain.  ...  I  am  speaking  of  the 
Pythagoreans,  of  whom  I  was  just  now  proposing  to  inquire 
about  harmony.  For  they  too  are  in  error,  like  the  astro- 
nomers ;  they  investigate  the  numbers  of  the  harmonies  which 
are  heard,  but  they  never  attain  to  problems — that  is  to  say, 
they  never  reach  the  natural  harmonies  of  number,  or  reflect 
why  some  numbers  are  harmonious  and  others  not." 

Plato,  Timaeus  80  (tr.  Jowett)  : 

"  [The  principle  of  universal  motion  explains]  also  the  nature 
of  sounds,  whether  swift  or  slow,  sharp  or  flat,  which  are  some- 
times discordant  on  account  of  the  inequality  of  the  motion 
which  they  excite  in  us,  and  then  again  harmonical  on  account 
of  their  equality ;  for  the  slower  sounds  reach  the  motions 
of  the  antecedent  swifter  sounds  when  these  begin  to  pause 
and  come  to  an  equality,  and  after  a  while  overtake  and 
propel  them.  When  they  overtake  them  they  do  not  intro- 
duce another  or  discordant  motion,  but  they  make  the  slower 
motion  by  degrees  correspond  with  the  swifter  ;  and  when  the 
motion  leaves  off,  they  assimilate  them  and  cause  a  single 
mixed  expression  to  be  produced  from  sharp  and  flat,  whence 


138  Milton's  Knowledge  of  Music 

arises  a  pleasure  which  even  the  unwise  feel,  and  which  to 
the  wise  becomes  a  higher  sort  of  delight,  as  being  an  imitation 
of  divine  harmony  in  mortal  motions. " 

See  also  Timaeus  35— 40  ;  69  ;  Aristotle,  Met.  1.5;  Aris- 
toxenus,  Harm.  1.  8  ;  9  ;  10  ;  2.  32-34  ;  Macrobius,  2.  2  ; 
Boethius,  De  Musica  1  3  ;  16-19  ;  29-33  ;  2.  7-31  ;  3. 1-16; 
4.  1-2  ;  4-13  ;  Morley  202  ;  Boeckh,  Kl.  Schriften  3.  169  ff., 
gives  a  detailed  explanation  of  the  Pythagorean  system  of 
numbers. 

Morley,  p.  31 ;  242  : 

Morley  calls  proportion  "  the  comparing  of  numbers  placed 
perpendicularly  one  over  another."  In  explanation  of  this  he 
continues,  "  Indeed  we  do  not  in  music  consider  the  numbers 
by  themselves,  but  set  them  for  a  sign  to  signify  the  altering  of 
our  notes  in  the  time."  In  his  "  annotations  "  to  this  passage 
he  enters  upon  a  laborious  discussion  of  the  varieties  and  uses 
of  proportion.  He  explains  that  the  term  "  proportion  " 
is  really  a  misnomer,  for  it  represents  the  ratio  et  habitudo 
of  numbers,  for  which  there  is  no  accurate  translation  in 
English.  He  then  describes  arithmetical  and  geometrical 
proportion  and  gives  the  following  explanation  of  "  harmoni- 
cal  proportion  "  : 

"  Harmonical  proportion  is  that  which  neither  is  made  of 
equal  habitudes,  nor  of  the  like  differences  ;  but  when  the 
greatest  of  three  terms  is  so  to  the  least  as  the  difference  of  the 
greatest  and  middle  terms  is  to  the  difference  of  the  middle 
and  least  example.  Here  be  three  numbers,  6,  4,  3,  where 
the  first  two  are  in  sesquialtera  habitude,  and  the  latter  two 
are  in  sesquitertia  ;  you  see  here  is  neither  like  habitude,  nor 
the  same  differences,  for  four  is  more  than  three  by  one,  and 
six  is  more  than  four  by  two  ;  but  take  the  difference  between 
six  and  four,  which  is  two,  and  the  difference  of  4  and  3,  which 
is  1,  and  compare  the  differences  together,  you  shall  find  2 
to  1,  as  6  is  to  3,  that  is  dupla  habitude.  And  this  is  called 
harmonical  proportion,  because  it  containeth  the  habitudes 
of  the  consonants  amongst  themselves  ;  as,  Let  there  be  three 
lines  taken  for  as  many  strings  or  organ-pipes,  let  the  first 


Appendix   I  139 

be  six  foot  long,  the  second  four,  the  third  three  ;  that  of  six 
will  be  a  diapason  or  eighth  to  that  of  three,  and  that  of  four 
will  be  a  diapente  or  fifth  above  that  of  six." 

Morley,  however,  uses  "  proportion  "  only  as  applied  to 
rhythm  in  music.  He  gives  a  "  table  containing  all  the  usual 
proportions  "  (p.  38),  but  recommends  only  five  of  the  simplest 
kind  for  common  use — "  Dupla,  Tripla,  Quadrupla,  Ses- 
quialtera,  and  Sesquitertia  "  (p.  31.)  See  also  Kircher,  Mus. 
Univ.  2.  2  ;  3.  1. 


B.  Concerning  Harmony,  Concord,  and  Discord. 

Plato,  Symposium  187  (tr.  Jowett)  : 

"  Harmony  is  composed  of  differing  notes  of  higher  or 
lower  pitch  which  disagreed  once,  but  are  now  reconciled  by 
the  art  of  music  ;  for  if  the  higher  and  lower  notes  still  dis- 
agreed, there  could  be  no  harmony,  as  is  indeed  evident. 
For  harmony  is  a  symphony,  and  symphony  is  an  agree- 
ment ;  but  an  agreement  of  disagreements  while  they  disagree 
cannot  exist ;  there  is  no  harmony  of  discord  and  disagreement. 
This  may  be  illustrated  by  rhythm,  which  is  composed  of  ele- 
ments short  and  long,  once  differing  and  now  in  accord  ; 
which  accordance,  as  in  the  former  instance,  medicine,  so  in 
this,  music,  implants,  making  love  and  unison  to  grow  up 
among  them  ;  and  thus  music,  too,  is  concerned  with  the 
principles  of  love  in  their  application  to  harmony  and  rhythm." 

Plato,  Laws  2.  665  (tr.  Jowett)  : 

"  Now  the  order  of  motion  is  called  rhythm,  and  the  order 
of  the  voice,  in  which  high  and  low  are  duly  mingled,  is  called 
harmony  ;  and  both  together  are  termed  choric  song." 

Plato,  Phaedo  86  (tr.  Jowett)  : 

"  Might  not  a  person  say  .  .  .  that  harmony  is  a  thing  in- 
visible, incorporeal,  fair,  divine,  abiding  in  the  lyre  which  is 
harmonized,  but  that  the  lyre  and  the  strings  are  matter  and 
material,  composite,  earthy,  and  akin  to  mortality  ?  And 
when  someone  breaks  the  lyre,  or  cuts  and  rends  the  strings, 
then  he  who  takes  this  view  would  argue  .  .  .  that  the  harmony 
survives  and  has  not  perished  ;  for  you  cannot  imagine,  as  he 


140  Milton's  Knowledge  of  Music 

would  say,  that  the  lyre  without  the  strings,  and  the  broken 
strings  themselves  remain,  and  yet  that  the  harmony,  which 
is  of  heavenly  and  immortal  nature  and  kindred,  has  perished 
— and  perished  too  before  the  mortal.  That  harmony,  he 
would  say,  certainly  exists  somewhere,  and  the  wood  and 
strings  will  decay  before  that  decays.  For  I  suspect,  Socrates, 
that  the  notion  of  the  soul  which  we  are  all  of  us  inclined  to 
entertain,  would  also  be  yours,  and  that  you  too  would  con- 
ceive the  body  to  be  strung  up,  and  held  together,  by  the  ele- 
ments of  hot  and  cold,  wet  and  dry,  and  the  likes,  and  that 
the  soul  is  the  harmony  or  due  proportionate  admixture  of 
them." 

Aristoxenus,  Harmonics  20  (tr.  Macran)  : 

"  The  nature  of  melody  in  the  abstract  determines  which 
concord  has  the  least  compass.  Though  many  smaller  inter- 
vals than  the  Fourth  occur  in  melody,  they  are  without  ex- 
ception discords.  But  while  the  least  concordant  interval 
is  thus  determined,  we  find  no  similar  determination  for  the 
greatest ;  for  as  far  at  any  rate  as  the  nature  of  melody  in  the 
abstract  is  concerned,  concords  seem  capable  of  infinite  ex- 
tension just  as  much  as  discords.  If  we  add  to  an  octave  any 
concord,  whether  greater  than,  equal  to,  or  less  than,  an 
octave,  the  sum  is  a  concord.  From  this  point  of  view,  then, 
there  is  no  maximum  concord." 

Aristotle,  Problems  19.  38  (tr.  Macran,  Notes  to  Aristoxenus, 
p.  236)  : 

"  The  reason  that  we  take  pleasure  in  concord  is  that  it  is 
a  blending  of  opposites  that  have  a  relation  to  one  an- 
other. Now  relation  is  order,  and  we  saw  that  order 
naturally  gave  pleasure." 

See  also  Aristotle,  Politics  1.5;  Aristides,  ed.  Meibom, 
12.  21  ;  Bacchius,  ed.  Meibom,  2.  28  ;  Gaudentius,  ed.  Meibom, 
11.  17  ;  Isagoge,  ed.  Meibom,  8.  24  ;  Boethius,  De  Musica 
1.3;  5;  10;  5.  1-18;  Morley,  pp.  76-77;  and  Boeckh, 
Kl.  Schriften,  3.  137. 


Appendix   V  141 

C.  Concerning  the  Modes,  the  Ethical  Qualities  of  Music, 
and  its  Place  in  Education.  ■ 

Plato,  Republic  3.  398-399  (tr.  Jowett)  : 

"  'And  which  are  the  harmonies  expressive  of  sorrow?  As 
you  are  a  musician,  I  wish  you  would  tell  me.' 

'The  harmonies  which  you  mean  are  the  mixed  or  tenor 
Lydian,  and  the  full-toned  or  bassLydian,  and  others  which  are 
like  them.' 

"'Which  are  the  soft  or  drinking  harmonies  ?  '  'The 
Ionian,'  he  replied,  '  and  the  Lydian ;  they  are  termed 
»  solute. « ' 

"  '  Well,  and  are  these  of  any  military  use  ?  ' 

"  '  Quite  the  reverse,'  he  replied  ; '  but  then  the  Dorian  and 
the  Phrygian  appear  to  be  the  only  ones  which  remain.' 

"I  answered  :  '  Of  the  harmonies  I  know  nothing,  but  I 
want  to  have  one  warlike,  which  will  sound  the  word  or  note 
which  a  brave  man  utters  in  the  hour  of  danger  and  stern 
resolve,  or  when  his  cause  is  failing,  and  he  is  going  to  wounds 
or  death  or  is  overtaken  by  some  other  evil,  and  at  every  such 
crisis  meets  fortune  with  calmness  and  endurance.'  " 

Plato,  Laches  188  (tr.  Jowett)  : 

"  When  I  hear  a  man  discoursing  of  virtue,  or  of  any  sort 
of  wisdom,  who  is  a  true  man  and  worthy  of  his  theme,  I  am 
delighted  beyond  measure ;  and  I  compare  the  man  and  his 
words,  and  note  the  harmony  and  correspondence  of  them. 
And  such  a  one  I  deem  to  be  the  true  musician,  having  in 
himself  a  fairer  harmony  than  that  of  the  lyre,  or  any  pleasant 
instrument  of  music ;  for  truly  he  has  in  his  own  life  a  har- 
mony of  words  and  deeds  arranged,  not  in  the  Ionian,  or  in  the 
Phrygian  mode,  nor  yet  in  the  Lydian,  but  in  the  true  Hellenic 
mode,  which  is  the  Dorian,  and  no  other." 

Plato,  Protagoras  326  (tr.  Jowett)  : 

"  The  teachers  of  the  lyre  take  .  .  .  care  that  their  young 
disciple  is  temperate  and  gets  into  no  mischief ;  and  when 
they  have  taught  him  the  use  of  the  lyre,  they  introduce  him 
to  the  poems  of  other  excellent  poets,  who  are  the  lyric  poets  ; 
and  these  they  set  to  music,  and  make  their  harmonies  and 
rhythms  quite   familiar  to   the  children,  in  order  that  they 


142  Milton's  Knowledge  of  Music 

may  learn  to  be  more  gentle,  and  harmonious,  and  rhyth- 
mical,  and   so  more  fitted  for  speech  and  action  ;  for  the 
life  of  man  in  every  part  has  need  of  harmony  and  rhythm." 
Cf.  Laws  2.  654  ff. ;  7.  802  ;  812. 

Aristotle,  Politics  8.  5.  1339  ;  1340  ;  1342  (tr.  Jowett) : 
"  It  is  not  easy  to  determine  the  nature  of  music,  or  why 
any  one  should  have  a  knowledge  of  it.  Shall  we  say,  for 
the  sake  of  amusement  and  relaxation,  like  sleep  or  drinking, 
which  are  not  good  in  themselves,  but  are  pleasant,  and  at  the 
same  time  'make  care  to  cease,'  as  Euripides  says  ?  And 
therefore  men  rank  them  with  music,  and  make  use  of  all 
three, — sleep,  drinking,  music, — to  which  some  add  dancing. 
Or  shall  we  agree  that  music  conduces  to  virtue,  on  the  ground 
that  it  can  form  our  minds  and  habituate  us  to  true  pleasures 
as  our  bodies  are  made  by  gymnastic  to  be  of  a  certain 
character  ?  Or  shall  we  say  that  it  contributes  to  the  enjoy- 
ment of  leisure  and  mental  cultivation,  which  is  a  third  alter- 
native ?  .  .  .  The  first  question  is  whether  music  is  or  is  not  to 
be  a  part  of  education.  Of  the  three  things  mentioned  in 
our  discussion,  which  is  it  ? — Education  or  amusement  or 
intellectual  enjoyment,  for  it  may  be  reckoned  under  all  three, 
and  seems  to  share  in  the  nature  of  all  of  them.  ...  In  addi- 
tion to  this  common  pleasure,  felt  and  shared  in  by  all  (for 
the  pleasure  given  by  music  is  natural,  and  therefore  adapted 
to  all  ages  and  characters),  may  it  not  have  also  some  influence 
over  the  character  and  the  soul  ?  It  must  have  such  an  in- 
fluence if  characters  are  affected  by  it.  And  that  they  are 
so  affected  is  proved  by  the  power  which  the  songs  of  Olympus 
and  of  many  others  exercise  ;  for  beyond  question  they  in- 
spire enthusiasm,  and  enthusiasm  is  an  emotion  of  the  ethical 
part  of  the  soul.  Besides,  when  men  hear  imitations,  even 
unaccompanied  by  melody  or  rhythm,  their  feelings  move  in 

sympathy Rhythm  and  melody  supply  imitations  of  anger 

and  gentleness,  and  also  of  courage  and  temperance  and  of 
virtues  and  vices  in  general,  which  hardly  fall  short  of  the 
actual  affections,  as  we  know  from  our  own  experience,  for  in 
listening  to  such  strains  our  souls  undergo  a  change.  .  .  .  Even 
in  mere  melodies  there  is  an  imitation  of  character,  for  the 


Appendix   V  143 

musical  notes  differ  essentially  from  one  another,  and  those 
who  hear  them  are  differently  affected  by  each.  Some  of 
them  make  men  sad  and  grave,  like  the  so-called  Mixolydian, 
others  enfeeble  the  mind,  like  the  relaxed  harmonies,  others, 
again,  produce  a  moderate  and  settled  temper,  which  appears 
to  be  the  peculiar  effect  of  the  Dorian.  .  .  .  The  whole  subject 
has  been  well  treated  by  philosophical  writers  on  this  branch 
of  education,  and  they  confirm  their  arguments  by  facts.  The 
same  principles  apply  to  rhythms  :  some  have  a  character  of 
rest,  others  of  motion,  and  of  these  latter  again,  some  have  a 
more  vulgar,  others  a  nobler  movement.  Enough  has  been 
said  to  show  that  music  has  a  power  of  forming  the  character, 
and  should  therefore  be  introduced  into  the  education  of  the 
young.  .  .  .  There  seems  to  be  in  us  a  sort  of  affinity  to  har- 
monies and  rhythms,  which  makes  some  philosophers  say 
that  the  soul  is  a  harmony,  others,  that  she  possesses  harmony. 
.  .  .  We  accept  the  division  of  melodies  proposed  by  certain 
philosophers  into  ethical  melodies,  melodies  of  action,  and  pas- 
sionate or  inspiring  melodies,  each  having,  as  they  say,  a  mode 
or  harmony  corresponding  to  it.  But  we  maintain  further  that 
music  should  be  studied,  not  for  the  sake  of  one,  but  of  many 
benefits,  that  is  to  say  with  a  view  to  education,  purification, 
...  for  intellectual  enjoyment,  for  relaxation  and  for  recreation 
after  exertion.  ...  In  education  ethical  melodies  are  to 
be  preferred,  but  we  may  listen  to  the  melodies  of  action  and 
passion  when  they  are  performed  by  others.  For  feelings 
such  as  pity  and  fear,  or,  again,  enthusiasm,  exist  very 
strongly  in  some  souls,  and  have  more  or  less  influence  over 
all. . . .  For  the  purposes  of  education,  as  I  have  already  said, 
those  modes  and  melodies  should  be  employed  which  are  ethi- 
cal, such  as  the  Dorian ;  though  we  may  include  any  others 
which  are  approved  by  philosophers  who  have  had  a  musical 
education.  ...  All  men  agree  that  the  Dorian  music  is  the 
gravest  and  manliest  and  whereas  we  say  that  the  extremes 
should  be  avoided,  and  the  mean  followed,  and  whereas  the 
Dorian  is  between  the  other  harmonies  (the  Phrygian  and  the 
Lydian),  it  is  evident  that  our  youth  should  be  taught  the 
Dorian  music." 


144  Milton's  Knowledge  of  Music 


Kircher,  Mus.   Univ.  1.5: 

"  Dores  enim  cum  natura  mites,  et  benevoli,  in  Deorum 
cultus  singulari  pietate  ferrentur,  melodiam  inclinationi  eorum 
convenientem,  cuiusmodi  Doria  erat,  colabant." 

See  also  Aristotle,  Rep.  4.  3  ;  8.  7  ;  Plutarch,  De  Musica 
13  ;  22  ;  Aristoxenus  37  ff.;  Boethius,  De  Musica  1.  1  ;  27  ; 
4.  14—18;  Macrobius,  Comm.  in  Somn.  Scip.  2.  3;  13—16; 
4  ;  Aristides  25  ;  1.  22  ;  Ptolemaeus  2.  6  ;  10  ;  and  the  refe- 
rences in  Gevaert,  La  Musique  de  VAntiquite  1.  178  ff. 


D.  Concerning  the  Music  of  the  Spheres. 

Plato,  Republic  10.  617  (tr.  Jowett)  : 

"  The  spindle  turns  on  the  knees  of  Necessity  ;  and  on  the 
upper  surface  of  each  circle  is  a  siren,  who  goes  round  with 
them  hymning  a  single  sound  and  note.  The  eight  together 
form  one  harmony,  and  round  about,  at  equal  intervals,  there 
is  another  band,  three  in  number,  each  sitting  upon  her  throne  ; 
these  are  the  Fates,  daughters  of  Necessity.  .  .  .  who  accom- 
pany with  their  voices  the  harmony  of  the  sirens." 

Plato,  Iimaeus  40  (tr.  Jowett)  : 

"Vain  would  be  the  labor  of  telling  about  all  the  figures  of 
them  moving  as  in  a  dance,  and  their  meetings  with  one 
another,  and  the  return  of  their  orbits  on  themselves,  and  their 
approximations,  and  to  say  which  of  them  in  their  conjunc- 
tions meet  and  which  of  them  are  in  opposition,  and  how  they 
get  behind  and  before  one  another,  and  at  what  times  they 
are  severally  eclipsed  to  our  sight  and  again  reappear." 

Cicero,  in  that  fragment  of  his  treatise  De  Republica  called 
the  Somnium  Scipionis  (6.  17,  18,  tr.  Edmonds),  gives  an  ela- 
borate account  of  the  sphere-music.  He  describes  the  universe, 
with  its  nine  circles  or  spheres,  of  which  Heaven  is  the  outer- 
most, controlling  the  rest.  The  seven  inner  spheres,  namely 
those  of  Saturn,  Jupiter,  Mars,  the  Sun,  Venus,  Mercury,  and 
the  Moon,  "  move  in  a  contrary  direction."  The  earth  is  im- 
movable. "  Which,  as  I  was  gazing  at  in  amazement,  I  said  as  I 
recovered  myself :    *  From  whence  proceed  these  sounds  so 


Appendix   V  145 

strong,  and  yet  so  sweet,  that  fill  my  ears  '  ?  '  The  melody,' 
replies  he,  '  which  you  hear,  and  which,  though  composed  in 
unequal  time,  is  nevertheless  divided  into  regular  harmony,  is 
effected  by  the  impulse  and  motion  of  the  spheres  themselves, 
which,  by  a  happy  temper  of  sharp  and  grave  notes,  regularly 
produce  various  harmonic  effects.  Now  it  is  impossible  that 
such  prodigious  movements  should  pass  in  silence  ;  and  nature 
teaches  that  the  sounds  which  the  spheres  at  one  extremity 
utter  must  be  sharp,  and  those  on  the  other  extremity  must 
be  grave  ;  on  which  account,  that  highest  revolution  of  the 
star-studded  heaven,  whose  motion  is  more  rapid,  is  carried 
on  with  a  sharp  and  quick  sound  ;  whereas  this  of  the  moon, 
which  is  situated  the  lowest,  and  at  the  other  extremity,  moves 
with  the  gravest  sound.  For  the  earth,  the  ninth  sphere,  re- 
maining motionless,  abides  invariably  in  the  innermost 
position,  occupying  the  central  spot  in  the  universe. 

Now  these  eight  directions,  two  of  which,  Mercury  and 
Venus,  have  the  same  powers,  effect  seven  sounds,  differing 
in  their  modulations,  which  number  is  the  connecting  prin- 
ciple of  almost  all  things.  Some  learned  men,  by  imitating  this 
harmony  with  strings  and  vocal  melodies,  have  opened  a  way 
for  their  return  to  this  place  ;  as  all  others  have  done,  who, 
endued  with  pre-eminent  qualities,  have  cultivated  in  their 
mortal  life  the  pursuits  of  heaven.  The  ears  of  mankind, 
filled  with  these  sounds,  had  become  deaf,  for  of  all  your 
senses  it  is  the  most  blunted  .  .  .  the  sound,  which  is  effected 
by  the  rapid  rotation  of  the  whole  system  of  nature,  is  so 
powerful,  that  human  hearing  cannot  comprehend  it,  just  as 
you  cannot  look  directly  upon  the  sun,  because  your  sight 
and  sense  are  overcome  by  his  beams.'  "  Cf.  the  elaborate 
comment  of  Macrobius,  2. 1—4  (quoted  in  part  on  p.  150  below) . 

Pliny,  Nat.  Hist.  2.  3  (tr.  Bostock  and  Riley,  ed.  Bonn)  : 
"  The  rising  and  the  setting  of  the  sun  clearly  prove  that  this 
globe  is  carried  round  in  the  space  of  twenty-four  hours,  in  an 
eternal  and  never-ceasing  circuit,  and  with  incredible  swift- 
ness. I  am  not  able  to  say,  whether  the  sound  caused  by  the 
whirling  about  of  so  great  a  mass  be  excessive,  and,  therefore, 
far  beyond  what  our  own  ears  can  perceive,  nor,  indeed, 

k 


146  Milton  s  Knowledge  of  Music 

whether  the  resounding  of  so  many  stars,  all  carried  along 
at  the  same  time  and  revolving  in  their  orbits,  may  not 
produce  a  kind  of  delightful  harmony  of  incredible  sweetness. 
To  us,  who  are  in  the  interior,  the  world  appears  to  glide 
silently  along,  both  by  day  and  by  night." 
Martianus  Capella,  De  Nupt.  Phil.  1.  27-28: 
' '  Superi  autem  globi  orbesque  septemplices  suavis  cuiusdam 
melodiae  harmonicis  tinnitibus  concinabant  ac  sono  ultra 
soli  turn  dulciore,  quippe  Musas  advent  are  praesenserant. 
Quae  quidem  singillatim  circulis  quibusque  metatis  ubi  suae 
pulsum  modulationis  agnoverant,  constiterunt.  Nam  Urania 
stellantis  mundi  sphaeram  extimam  continatur,  quae  acuto 
raptabatur  sonora  tinnitu.  Polymnia  Saturnium  circulum 
tenuit,  Euterpe  Iovialem,  Erato  ingresse  modulatur,  Mel- 
pomene medium  ubi  Sol  flammanti  mundum  lumine  con- 
venustat.  Terpsichore  Venerio  sociatur  auro.  Calliope  orbem 
complexa  Cyllenium,  Clio  citimum  circulum,  hoc  est  in  luna 
collocavit  hospitium.  Quae  quidem  gravis  pulsus  modis 
raucioribus  personabat.  Sola  vero,  quod  vector  eius  cygnus 
impatiens  oneris  atque  etiam  subvolandi  alumna  stagna 
patierat,  Thalia  derelicta  in  ipso  florentis  campi  ubere  resi- 
debat." 

Philo  Judaeus,  De  Somniis  1.  6  ;  7  (tr.  Yonge,  ed.  Bohn)  : 
"For  these  two  things,  the  heaven  and  the  mind,  are  the 
things  which  are  able  to  utter,  with  all  becoming  dignity,  the 
praises,  and  hymns,  and  glory,  and  beatitude  of  the  father 
who  created  them :  for  man  has  received  an  especial  honor 
beyond  all  other  animals,  namely,  that  of  ministering  to  the 
living  God.  And  the  heaven  is  always  singing  melodies, 
perfecting  an  all-musical  harmony,  in  accordance  with  the 
motions  of  all  the  bodies  which  exist  therein  ;  of  which,  if  the 
sound  ever  reached  our  ears,  love,  which  could  not  be  restrained, 
and  frantic  desires,  and  furious  impetuosity,  which  could  not 
be  put  an  end  to  or  pacified,  would  be  engendered,  and  would 
compel  us  to  give  up  even  what  is  necessary,  nourishing 
ourselves  no  longer  like  ordinary  mortals  on  the  meat  and 
drink,  which  is  received  by  means  of  our  throat,  but  on  the 
inspired  songs  of  music  in  its  highest  perfection,  as  persons 


Appendix  V  147 

about  to  be  made  immortal  through  the  medium  of  their  ears  ; 
and  it  is  said  that  Moses  was  an  incorporeal  hearer  of  these 
melodies,  when  he  went  for  forty  days,  and  an  equal  number 
of  nights,  without  at  all  touching  any  bread  or  any  water. 

Therefore  the  heaven,  which  is  the  archetypal  organ  of 
music,  appears  to  have  been  arranged  in  a  most  perfect  manner, 
for  no  other  object  except  that  the  hymns,  sung  to  the  honour 
of  the  Father  of  the  universe,  might  be  attuned  in  a  musical 
manner/' 

Isidorus,  Etymologiae  3.  17  (Migne,  Patrologia  Latina 
82.  163): 

"Nam  et  ipse  mundus  quadam  harmonia  sonorum  fertur  esse 
compositus,  et  coelum  ipsum  sub  harmoniae  modulatione 
revolvitur." 

Ambrosius,  Enarrationes  in  XII  Psalmos  Davidicos,  Prae- 
fatio,  2.  (Migne,  Patrologia  Latina  14.  1.  1) : 

"  Laudant  angeli  Dominum,  psallunt  ei  potestates  coelorum, 
et  ante  ipsum  initium  mundi  Cherubim  et  Seraphim,  cum 
suavitate  canorae  vocis  suae  dicunt,  '  Sanctus,  sanctus,  sanc- 
tus  (Isa.  6.  3).'  Innumera  angelorum  milia  assistunt  et 
seniores  et  turba  magna  sicut  voces  aquarum  multarum 
concinunt  Alleluia  (Apoc.  19.  1.  4.  6).  Ipsum  axem  coeli 
fert  expressior  sermo  cum  quadam  perpetui  concentus 
suavitate  versari,  ut  sonus  eius  extremis  terrarum  partibus 
audiretur,  ubi  sunt  quaedam  secreta  naturae.  ...  In  scopulis 
quoque  ipsis  et  lapidibus  reperit  natura  quod  delectaret.  Alio- 
rum  specula,  aliorum  usus  delectat  aut  gratia.  Ferae  ipsae,  at- 
que  aves  loci  amoenioris  aut  modulations  vocis  delectatione 
mulcentur.  Lactentibus  quoque  parvulis  aut  severitas  terrori 
est,  aut  blanditiae  voluptati.    Naturalis  igitur  delect atio  est." 

Morley,  pp.  228-229: 

Morley  gives  a  table  showing  how  the  Greeks  made  a  "  com- 
parison of  the  Times,  Keys,  Muses,  and  Planets."  In  another 
table,  taken  from  "  an  old  treatise  of  music  written  in  vellum 
above  an  hundred  years  ago,  called  Regulae  Franconis  cum 
additionibus  Roberti  de  Haulo,"  each  of  the  planets  is  supplied 
with  a  definite  note.  In  this  scale,  Coelum  is  represented  as 
sounding  an  exact  octave  above  Terra,  "  and  at  the  end  there- 

k2| 


148  Milton's  Knowledge  of  Music 

of,  these  words  Marcus  Tullius,  pointing,  as  I  take  it,  to  that 
most  excellent  discourse  in  the  dream  of  Scipio,  where  the 
motions  and  sounds  of  all  the  spheres  are  most  sweetly  set 
down ;  there  Tidly  doth  affirm  that  it  is  impossible  that  so 
great  motions  may  be  moved  without  sound  ;  and  according 
to  their  nearness  to  the  earth,  giveth  he  every  one  a  sound,  the 
lower  body  the  lower  sound.  But  Glareanus,  one  of  the  most 
learned  of  our  time,  maketh  two  arguments  to  contrary 
effects,  gathered  out  of  their  opinion,  who  deny  the  sound 
of  the  spheres.  The  greatest  bodies,  saith  he,  make  the 
greatest  sounds.  The  higher  celestial  bodies  are  the  greatest 
bodies  ;  therefore  the  highest  bodies  make  the  greatest  sounds. 
The  other  proveth  the  contrary  thus  :  That  which  moveth 
swiftest  giveth  the  highest  sound  ;  the  higher  bodies  move 
the  swiftest ;  therefore  the  highest  bodies  give  the  highest 
sound." 

See  also  Aristotle,  De  Coelo  2.  9  ;  Met.  1,  5  ;  11.  8  ;  12.  8 
Porphyr.  in  Ptol.  Harm.  4,  p.  251  ;  Cicero,  DeNat.  Deor.  3.  11 
Pliny,  Nat.  Hist.  2.  22.  20  ;  Plutarch,  De  Musica  44  ;  Symp.  9 
Nicomachus,  Enchirid.  Harm.  1.  6,  ed.  Meibom,  p.  33 
Boethius,  De  Musica  1. 2  (quoted  below,  p.  149) ;  27;  Isidorus 
De  Nat.  Rer.  2  ;  12  ;  13  ;  22  ;  23  ;  Kircher,  Mus.  Univ.  10.  1 
and  the  references  given  by  Gevaert,  La  Musique  de  l' Anti- 
quit*  1.  178  ff. 

Cf.  Hawkins  4.  158—166,  describing  Kepler's  Harmonices 
Mundi ;  Mersennus,  Harmonic  Universelle ;  Hawkins  4. 
168—173,  describing  the  system  of  Robert  Flud,  and  repro- 
ducing his  diagram. 

Cf.  also  the  references  to  the  sphere-myth  in  literature, 
given  by  Albert  S.Cook,  Notes  on  Milton s  Nativity  Ode,  Trans. 
Conn.  Acad.  15.  343-344. 


E.  Concerning  the  Celestial  and  Mundane  Music. 

Proclus,  On  the  Theology  of  Plato  5.  35  : 

"  Quod  enim  est  expers  formae,  et  quod  est  infinitum,  et 
quod  est  expers  rhytmi,  est  materiae  proprietas.  Quod  igitur 
est  immateriatum,  et  finitum,  et  impollutum,  est  rhytmo 


Appendix   V  149 

praeditum,  concinnum,  et  ordinatum,  et  intellectuale.  Prop- 
terea  enim  et  ipsum  Coelum  perpetuo  choreas  agitare  dicitur, 
et  omnes  in  Coeli  circuli  motionem  rhytmo  praeditam,  con- 
cinnam,  et  harmonicam  participant,  quod  superne  ab  impollu- 
tis  Diis  facultate  repleantur.  Quoniam  enim  circuli  coelestes 
in  orbem  moventur,  ipsam  Mentem  effingunt,  et  intellectuale 
circumvectionem  exprimunt." 

Boethius,  De  Musica  1.2: 

"  There  are  three  kinds  of  Music  :  and  the  first  is  the  Music  of 
the  Universe  (Musica  Mundana),  the  second  the  Human 
Music,  the  third  that  which  is  practiced  on  certain  instruments, 
e.  g.,  the  cithara,  or  the  tibia,  in  short  on  all  instruments  on 
which  one  can  play  a  melody.  Now  in  the  first  place,  one 
can  best  recognize  the  Music  of  the  Universe  in  those  things 
which  one  perceives  in  the  heavens  themselves,  or  in  the  combi- 
nation of  elements,  or  in  the  change  of  seasons.  How  could 
it  happen  otherwise,  that  the  machinery  of  heaven  should 
be  moved  so  quickly  and  in  such  a  silent  course  ?  Although 
that  tone  does  not  reach  our  ears — and  that  it  should  happen 
in  this  wise  is  necessary  for  many  reasons — still  such  an  infin- 
itely rapid  motion  of  such  great  bodies  cannot  but  bring  forth 
tones,  especially  as  the  courses  of  the  planets  are  connected 
by  so  great  a  Harmony  that  nothing  more  thoroughly  ordered 
and  adjusted  is  known/ 

Macrobius,  Comm.  in  Somn.  Scip.  1.  6.  42—43 : 
"Ternarius  vero  adsignat  animam  tribus  suis  partibus  ab- 
solutam,  quarum  prima  est  ratio,  quam  koyiorixov  appellant, 
secunda  animositas,  quam  frvfiixov  vocant,  tertia  cupiditas, 
quae    tJii&vfitGTtxov    nuncupatur.     Item    nullus    sapientum 
animam  ex  symphoniis  quoque  musicis  constitisse  dubitavit 
Inter  has  non  parvae  potentiae  est,  quae  dicitur  dice  xaotiv.' 
See  also  Martianus  Capella,  De  Nupt.  Phil.   1.  27-28 
Pseud.  Dionysius,  De  Coelesti  Hier.  cap.  10 ;  Isidorus,  Etym 
3.   16  ;  De  Nat.  Rer.   12  ;    Anselm,  De  Imagine  Mundi  1 
Kircher,  Mus.  Univ.  10.  1.  2. 


150  Milton's  Knowledge  of  Music 

F.  Concerning  the  Significance  of  Music. 

Plutarch,  De  Musica  23  : 

"  But  the  most  important  thing,  my  friends,  which  music  in 
its  highest  significance  reveals,  you  have  still  overlooked. 
The  rotation  of  the  universe  and  the  motion  of  the  planets 
could  neither  begin  nor  continue  without  music,  according 
to  Pythagoras,  Archytas,  Plato  and  the  other  ancient  philo- 
sophers. For  everything,  they  say,  is  ordered  by  God  ac- 
cording to  the  laws  of  Harmony." 

Macrobius,  Comm.  in  Somn.  Scip.  2.  3.  7—12  : 

"Nam  ideo  in  hac  vita  omnis  anima  musicis  sonis  capitur,  ut 
non  soli  qui  sunt  habitu  cultiores  verum  universae  quoque  bar- 
barae  nationes  cantus  quibus  vel  ad  ardorem  virtutis  animen- 
tur  vel  ad  mollitiem  voluptatis  resolvantur  exerceant,  quia  in 
corpus  defert  memoriam  musicae  cuius  in  caelo  fuit  conscia, 
et  ita  delenimentis  canticis  occupatur,  ut  nullum  sit  tarn 
inmite  tarn  asperum  pectus,  quod  non  oblectamentorum  tali- 
urn  teneatur  affectu.  Hinc  aestimo  et  Orphei  vel  Amphionis 
fabulam,  quorum  alter  animalia  ratione  carentia  alter  saxa 
quoque  trahere  cantibus  ferebantur,  sumpsisse  principium, 
quia  primi  forte  gentes  vel  sine  rationis  cultu  barbaras  vel 
saxi  instar  nullo  affectu  molles  ad  sensum  voluptatis  canendo 
traxerunt.  Ita  denique  omnis  habitus  animae  cantibus 
gubernatur,  ut  et  ad  bellum  progressui  et  item  receptui 
canatur  cantu  et  excitante  et  rursus  sedante  virtutem  :  dat 
somnos  adimitque,1  nee  non  curas  et  inmittit  et  retrahit,  iram 
suggerit,  clementiam  suadet,  corporum  quoque  morbis  mede- 
tur  ;  nam  hinc  est  quod  aegris  remedia  praestantes  praecinere 
dicuntur.  Et  quid  minim,  si  inter  homines  musicae  tanta 
dominatio  est,  cum  aves  quoque,  ut  lusciniae,  ut  cygni  aliaeve 
id  genus,  cantum  veluti  quadam  disciplina  artis  exerceant, 
nonnullae  vero  vel  aves  vel  terrenae  seu  aquatiles  beluae, 
invitante  cantu  in  retia  sponte  decurrant,  et  pastoralis  fis- 
tula pastum  progressis  quietem  imperet  gregibus  ?  Nee 
mirum.     Inesse    enim    mundanae    animae    causas    musicae, 

1  Virg.  Aen.  4.  244. 


Appendix   V  151 

quibus  est  intexta,  praediximus  ;  ipsa  autem  mundi  anima 
viventibus  omnibus  vitam  ministrat : 

Hinc  hominum  pecudumque  genus  vitaeque  volantum 
Et  quae  marmoreo  fert  monstra  sub  aequore  pontus.1 

lure  igitur  musica  capitur  omne  quod  vivit,  quia  caelestis 
anima,  qua  animatur  universitas,  originem  sumpsit  ex  musica. 
Haec,  dum  ad  sphaeralem  motum  mundi  corpus  inpellit,  sonum 
efficit  qui  intervallis  est  disiunctus  inparibus,  sed  tamen  pro 
rata  parte  ratione  distinctis,  sicut  a  principio  ipsa  contexta  est." 

Kircher,  Mus.  Univ.  2.  3  : 

"  Solus  itaque  perfectus  Musicus  est,  et  dici  debet,  qui 
Theoriam  praxi  iungit,  qui  non  tantum  componere  novit,  sed 
et  singularum  rerum  rationem  reddere  potest ;  ad  quod  tamen 
cum  dignitate  praestandum,  omnium  paene  scientiarum 
notitia  requiritur;  scilicet  Arithemeticae,  Geometriae,  Pro- 
portionum  sonorum,  Musicae  practicae  tarn  vocalis,  quam 
instrumentalis,  Metricae,  Historicae,  Dialecticae,  Rhetoricae, 
totius  denique  Philosophiae  absoluta  cognitio,  adeo  ut  Musi- 
cam  in  rigore  sumptam,  nihil  aliud  esse  definiamus,  quam 
Sonorum  harmonicorum,  in  quocumque  genere  occurentium  per- 
fectam  scientiam." 

See  also  Plato,  Tim.  47 ;  80  (quoted  above,  p.  137)  ;  Phaedrus 
245  ;  265  ;  Aristotle,  Politics  1.  5 ;  Kircher,  Mus.  Univ. 
2.  6.  2  ;  7.  1.  1 ;  9.  3  ;  10.  4  ;  9 ;  10. 

1  Lactantius,  De  falsa  Rd.  1.  5. 


The  Glossary  has  been  prepared  with  a  three-fold  purpose, 
(1)  to  show  the  extent  and  the  variety  of  Milton's  vocabulary  in 
musical  terms,  (2)  to  show  his  frequent  special  musical  use  of  terms 
of  larger  general  meaning,  and  (3)  to  give  an  exact  meaning  of  many 
such  terms  in  the  light  of  his  peculiar  use  of  them,  and  of  his  highly 
specialized  knowledge  of  music.  The  words  in  the  Glossary  are 
taken  not  only  from  the  English  Poems,  but  from  the  Latin  and 
Italian  Poems  and  the  Prose  Works  as  well.  Wherever  a  definition 
is  obvious  it  has  been  omitted. 


ABBREVIATIONS  OF  TITLES. 

A,  =  Arcades. 

C.  =  Comics. 

Circ.  =   Upon  the  Circumcision. 

Be  Sphaer.  Con.  =  De  Sphaerarum  Concentu. 

H.  =  Hymn  on  the  Nativity. 

Hist.  Brit  =  Lines  from  the  History  of  Britain. 

11  P.  =  11  Penseroso. 

It.  S.  =  Italian  Sonnet.     (The  Italian  Sonnets  are  numbered  as  in 

Pattison's  edition.) 
L.  =  Lycidas. 
VA.  =  V  Allegro. 

M.  M.  =  Song  on  a  May  Morning. 
M.   W.  =  Epitaph  on  the  Marchioness  of   Winchester. 
P.  =   The  Passion. 
P.  L.    =   Paradise  Lost. 
P.  R.  =  Paradise  Regained. 
Ps.  =  Translations  of  the  Psalms. 
P.  W.  =  Prose  Works  (Bohn  Edition). 
S.  =  Sonnet.     (The  English  Sonnets  are  numbered  as  in  Bradshaw's 

Concordance.) 
8.  A.  =  Samson  Agonistes. 
S.  M.  =  At  a  Solemn  Music. 
T.  =  On  Time. 

U.  C.  =  On  the  University  Carrier  (two  poems). 
V.  Ex.  =  At  a   Vacation  Exercise. 


Abbreviations  of  Titles  153 

Latin  Poems: 

Ad  Leon.  =  Ad  Leonoram. 

Ad  Mans.  =  Ad  Mansum. 

Ad  P.  =  Ad  Patrem. 

Ad  Rous.  =  Ad  Rousium. 

Ad  Sals.  =  Ad  Salsillum. 

De  Id.  Plat.  =  De  Idea  Platonica   Quemadmodum    Aristoteles   In* 

tellexit. 
E.  =  Elegia. 
Ef.  =  Epigram. 

Epit.  Dam.  =  Epitaphium  Damonis. 
In  Quint.  Nov.  =  In  Quintum  Novembris. 
In  Obit.   Prats.  Eli.  =  In  Obitum  Praesulis  Eliensis. 
Nat.  non  pat.  sen.  =  Naturam  non  Pati  Senium, 


GLOSSARY 

Aeolian,  adj.     Pertaining  to  the  Aeolian  mode  in  music,  or  to  the 

Aeolian  style  of  poetry  :  P.  R.  4.  257.   . 
Air,  n.     1.  A   musical  composition  for  a  single  voice,   or  for  voices 

in  unison,  with  instrumental  accompaniment,  and  without  counter- 
point :  S.  20.  12 ;  P.  W.  2.  73. 

2.  A  melody  :    P.  R.  2.  362  ;    P.  27  ;    V A.   136  ;  S.  8.   12  ; 

S.  13.  8. 
Alchymy,  n.     A  mixed  metal,  resembling  gold,  with  brass  as  the  chief 

constituent,   used  for  making  trumpets.     As  the  trumpet  itself  : 

P.  L.  2.  517.     Cf.  metal 
Alternare,  L.  v.  intr.     Sing  or  dance  by  turns :  Ad.  Sals.  5. 
Alternate,   v.   tr.     Sing  by  turns.     Possibly  with   a  suggestion  of 

dancing  :  P.  L.  5.  657.     Cf.  Ad  Sals.  5. 
Angel-trumpets,  n.  pi. :  S.  M.  11.     See  trumpet. 
Anthem,  n.     A  composition  for  voices,  with  or  without  accompani- 
ment, used  in  divine  service  :    P.  R.  4.  594  ;  H.  219  ;  II  P.  163. 
Antimasque,  n.    A  grotesque  interlude  between  the  acts  of  a  masque : 

P.W.  1.  450. 
Antiphony,  n.     A  response  in  sacred  music :   P.    W.  2.  61. 
Apollo,  n.     As  the  god  of  music  :   V.  Ex.  37  ;  C.  478  ;  P.  W.  3.  488  ; 

E.  6.  34  ;  Ad  Mans.  57  ;  Ad  Rous.  35.    See  also  Delius,  Paean, 

Phoebus. 
Arion,  n.     A  mythical  Greek  musician  :  Ad  P.  60 ;  De  Sphaer.  Con., 

App.  IV.  p.  134,  1.  5. 
Arundo,  L.  n.     Shepherd' s-pipe  :  E.  5.  113.     See  cicuta,  oat,  pipe, 

reed. 
Attic  bird  :  P.  R.  4.  245.     See  nightingale. 

Auditory,  n.     An  audience  listening  to  music  :   P.   W.  3.  62  ;  152. 
Bacchus,  L.  n.     Represented  as  having  an  interest  in  music  :  E.  6. 

14  ;  23  ;  34  ;  Ad  Sals.  28.     Cf.  Epit.  Dam.  219. 
Bag-pipe,  n.     Used  as  a  rustic  instrument  :  P.   W.  2.  73. 
Ballad,  n.     Folk-song  :  P.  W.  2.  57. 
Ballad-singer,  n.  :  P.  W.  1.  25  ;  138. 

Ballatry,  n.     Ballad  tunes  without  their  words  :  P.  W.  2.  73. 
Barbitos,  Gr.  n.     An  ancient  lyre.     Its  sides  were  long  and  narrow, 

and  it  had  very  long  strings.     Used  by  the  Lesbians  and  Ana- 

creon,  primarily  for  songs  of  joy:  E.  6.  37;  Ad  Rous.  9.    See  lyre. 


Glossary  155 

Bard,  n.     1.  Minstrel  :  P.  L.  7.  34  ;  L.  53  ;  P.   FT.     3.  491. 

2.  Poet  as  singer  :  II  P.  116  ;  C.  45  ;  P.   FT.  1.  236. 

Cf.  E.  1.  21  ;  6.  77  ;  De  Id.  Plat.  28  ;  Ad  P.  85  ;  S.  13.  10  ; 
and  see  Demodocus,  Druids. 
Bass,  n.     The  fundamental  part  in  musical  harmony  :   H.   130. 
Bell,  n.     As  producing  musical  tone  :  V  A.  93  ;  P.   W.  3.  112. 
Blast,  n.     1.  Current  of  air  producing  sound  in  an  organ  :  P.  L.\.  708. 

2.  Blowing  of  a  trumpet  :  #.  .4.  972. 

3.  Sound  of  a  trumpet  :  P.  L.  11.  76  ;  E.  161  ;  P.  FT.  1.  232. 
Blow,   v.     1.   tr.  Produce  sounds  upon  wind-instruments  :   P.  L.  1. 

540;  11.  73  ;  S.  M.  11. 

2.  Announce  by  a  trumpet-blast  :  Ps.  81.  9. 

3.  intr.  Give  forth  sounds,  of  wind-instruments  :  P.  L.  6.  60  ; 
H.  130  ;  II  P.  161. 

4.  Fig.,  of  winds,  with  musical  significance  :  tr.  P.  L.  2.  717; 
intr.  P.  L.  5.  192. 

Bout,  n.     A  turn  or  involution  in  music  :  U A.  139. 

Bray,  v.  tr.     Sound  harshly  :   P.  L.  6.  209. 

Brazen,  adj.     Having  the  harsh  sound  of  brass  instruments  :  P.  L.  11. 

713.     Cf.  aerisonam  .  .  .  tubam  :  E.  4.  80.     See   alchymy. 
Breathe,  v.     1.  tr.     Produce  musical  sounds  by  breathing  :  C.  245  ; 

H.  179  ;  cf.  P.  R.  4.  258. 

2.  Fig.  of  winds,  with  musical  significance  :  P.  L.  5.  193. 

3.  intr.     Give  forth  gentle  sounds  as  of  the  voice  or  of  wind-in- 
struments :  P.  L.  1.  709  ;  II  P.  151.     See  solemn -breathing. 

Buccina,  L.  n.  Latin  equivalent  of  clarion  (q.  v.)  :  E.  4.  118.  See 
trumpet. 

Cadence,  n.     Melody  gradually  diminishing.     Fig.  of  music  of  the 

H  winds  :  P.  L.  2.  287. 

Camoena,  L.  n.  A  type  of  water-nymphs  associated  with  music, 
usually  identified  with  the  Muses.  Milton  seems  to  have  re- 
cognized a  possible  etymological  connection  with  carmen  or 
canere  (cf.  Macrobius,  Comm.  in  Somn.  Scip.  2.  3.  4)  :  E.  6.  3  ; 
Ad  P.  67  ;  Ad  Mans.  5  ;  Epit.  Dam.  170  ;  Ad  Sals.  7.     See  Musa. 

Canere,  L.  v.  Sing.  1.  tr.  :  E.  5.  28  ;  6.  28  ;  81  ;  Ad  P.  46 ;  Ad. 
Mans.  11  ;  43  ;  Epit.  Dam.  73.     See  sing,  I  (3). 

2.  intr.  :  Ad  Leon.  2.  5  ;  In  Quint.  Nov.  62  ;  Ad  P.  54  ;  Epit. 
Dam.  143.     See  sing,  II. 

Canorus,  L.  adj.     Melodious  :  Ad  P.  59  ;  Epit.  Dam.  34. 

Can  tare,  L.  v.     Sing.     1.  tr.  :  In  Quint.  Nov.  65  ;  P.   W.   I.   169. 
Cf.  decantatum  :  Ad  P.  119.     See  sing,  I  (3). 
2.  intr.  :  tf.  6.  22.     See  sing,  II. 


156  Milton  s  Knowledge  of  Music 

Canting,  v.   adj.     Possibly  with  connotation  of  chanting  :    P.    W. 

3.   152. 
Cantus,  L.  n.      Song.     Especially  of  the   melody:    E.  5.  115  ;  Ad 

Leon.  2.  12  ;    3.  8  ;    Ad  P.  52  ;   Ad  Sals.  32  ;   Ad  Mans.  44  ; 

Epil.  Dam.  218.     See  song  (3). 
Carmen,  L.   n.     Song.     Especially  of  the  words  :    E.  5.  5  ;  114  ; 

6.  5  ;  6  ;  14  ;  34  ;  Ad  P.  21  ;  24  ;  26  ;  33  ;  37  ;  41  ;  54  ;  55  ; 

115  ;  Ad  Mans.  1  ;  12  ;  46  ;  69  ;  80  ;  Epit.  Dam.  3.     See  song 

(2). 
Carol,  1.  v.  tr.     Sing  with  joy  :  C.  849. 
2.  n.  Joyful  song  :  P.  L.  12.  367. 
Cetra,  It.  n.  A  lyre.     Lat.  cithara  :  It.  S.  7.  12.      See  cithara,  lyre. 
Chains,   n.    pi.     Fig.    of   the   melodies   involved   in   counterpoint  : 

UA.  143. 
Chant,  1.  v.  tr.  Sing  or  intone  solemnly  :  P.   W.  1.  466. 

2.  n.     Song  :  P.  R.  2.  290. 
Chanters,  n.  pi.     Choristers  :  P.  W.  2.  426. 
Charm,  1.  v.  tr.     Conjure   by  song  :  P.  L.  1.  561  ;  787  ;  11.  132. 

2.  n.     Song  of  birds  :  P.  L.  4.  642  ;  651. 

3.  n.      Song.     Suggested    by   Lat.    carmen  :    P.    L.    2.    666  ; 
P.  R.  4.  257  ;  II  P.  83. 

Charming,  v.  adj.     1.  Having  the  qualities  of  song,  musical  :  P.  L. 

3.  368  ;  5.  626  ;  8.  2 ;  11.  595 ;  C.  476  ;  P.  W.  3.  476.     Cf.  en- 
chanting. 

2.  Producing  music  with  magical  effect  :  P.   W.  3.  184.     See 

charm  (1). 
Chelys,    Gr.    n.     The   primitive,   small-sized   lyre.     To   Milton,   the 

classic  equivalent  of  the  lute  :  E.  6.  39.     See  lyra,  lyre. 
Chime,  n.     Musical  concord  of  sounds  produced  usually  by  vibration 

of  metal  surface  or  strings  :    P.  L.  11.  559  ;   H.  128  ;   C.  1021  ; 

S.  M.  20. 
Chiming,  v.  adj.    Sounding  in  concord,  as  in  a  chime  (q.  v.) :  P.  R.2. 

363. 
Choir,  n.     I.  A  band  of  singers. 

a.  In  the  church  service  :  II  P.  162. 

b.  In  pagan  worship  :  Hist.  Brit.  6. 

c.  At  a  wedding  :  M.  W.  17. 

d.  Of  the  angels  :  P.  L.  4.  711  ;  7.  254  ;  12.  366  ;  P.  R.  1. 
242  ;  4.  593  ;  H.  27  ;  115  ;  S.  M.  12.  Cf.  E.  3.  59  ; 
65  ;  5.  85  ;  Epit.  Dam.  218. 

e.  Fig.,  of  animals  :  P.  L.  9.   198. 

f.  Of  birds  :  P.  L.  4.  264. 


Glossary  157 

g.  Of  the  stars:  C.  112.     Cf.  Ad  P.  36. 
h.  Of  the  Muses  :  S.  13.  10.     Cf.  Ad  Mans.  2. 
2.  A  company.     Of  the  angels,  probably  with  musical  signifi- 
cance :  P.  L.  3.  217  ;  666  ;  5.  251.     See  choral,  chorea,  chorus. 
Choral,  adj.     a.  Singing  parts  in  harmony  :   P.  L.  7.  599. 

b.  Sung  in  chorus  :  P.  L.  5.  162. 
Chord,  n.     1.  A  harp-string  :  P.  L.  11.  561.     See  string. 

2.  A  simultaneous  combination  of  musical  tones  :  P.  W.  3.  62  ; 
476.     Possibly  also  P.  L.  11.  561. 
Chorea,  L.  n.     A  choral  dance  :  E.  6.  44  ;  Ad  P.  36. 
Chorus,  n.     1.  Song  performed  by  a  band  of  singers. 

a.  Of  angels  :   P.  L.  7.  275. 

b.  Of  the  chorus  in  Greek  tragedy  :  P.  R.  4.  262. 

2.   The  band  of  singers  performing  the  choruses   in  the  classic 
drama  :  P.W.  1.  244  ;  2.  479  (two  reff.). 
Chores,  L.  n.     I.  A  choir  (q.  v.). 

a.  Of  Satyrs  :  E.  5.  120  ;  Ad  P.  52. 

b.  Of  Bacchic  revellers  :  E.  6.  18  ;  Epit.  Dam.  218. 

c.  Of  pagan  worshippers  :  De  Id.  Plat.  28. 

d.  Of  the  Muses  :  Ad  Mans.  2. 

Chromatic,  adj.     Having  the  characteristics  of  the  chromatic  genus 

in  Greek  music  :  S.  M.   19  (variant). 
Cieuta,  L.  n.     Hemlock-reed,  used  as  flute  :  E.  6.  89  ;  Epit.  Dam.  135. 
Cithara,    Gr.    n.     An   ancient   lyre.      The  largest  and  most  highly 

developed   of   the   family,    characterized   by   its   large   wooden 

sound-board  and  its  broad  hollow  side-pieces  :   Ad  P.  54  ;  Ad 

Mans.  63  ;  Epit.  Dam.  89.     See  cetra,  lyre. 
Clamor,    1.  v.  tr.     Salute  noisily  :   S.  A.  1621. 
2.  n.     Loud  sound,  noise. 

a.  Of  voices  :  P.  L.  2.  862  ;  7.  36  ;  P.  R.  2.  148. 

b.  Of  metal  :  P.  L.  6.  208. 

Clamorous,   adj.     Noisy,    discordant  :    P.   L.    10.   479  ;   S.   M.   20 

(variant). 
Clang,  n.     1.   The  sound  of  a  trumpet  :  H.  157. 

2.  The  noise  of  birds  :  P.  L.  7.  422  ;  11.  835. 
Clarion,  n.     A  smaU,  shrill  trumpet  :  P.  L.  1.  532  ;  fig.,  P.  L.  7. 

443.     See  buccina,  trumpet. 
Clash,    v.     1.  tr.     Strike   with   a   confused,    loud,    metallic   sound  : 

P.  L.  1.  668. 
2.  intr.  :  P.  L.  6.  209. 
Clio,  L.  n.     The  Muse  of  heroic  poetry  :  Ad  Mans.  24  ;  E.  4.  31. 
Close,  n.     The  conclusion  of  a  musical  phrase  :   H.   100  ;  C.  548. 


158  Milton  s  Knowledge  of  Music 

Composer,  n.     Of  music  :  P.   W.  3.  476. 

Concent,  n.     Musical  concord.     Lat.  concentus  (q.  v.)  ;  It.  concento, 

the  sounding  of  all  the  notes  in  a  chord  together— the  opposite 

of  arpeggio  :  &  M.  6.      a.  consent  :    11  P.  95  ;    P.   W.  3.  67. 
Concentus,  L.  n.    Musical  concord  :  De  Sphaer.  Con.,  title  ;  App.  IX. 

p.  132,  1.  16  ;  133.  2S  ;  135.  1  ;   Mane  citum  lectus  fuge,  Comm. 

Bk.  p.  61.     See  concent. 
Concha.   L.   n.     The  shell  of   Triton  :   Xat.   non  pat.   sen.   57. 
Consonant,  adj.     In  concord:  P.   W.  1.   161  ;  176. 
Consort,  n.     1.  .4  company  of  musicians  :  S.  M.  27. 

2.  Harmony  :  H.   132  ;  II  P.   145.     Possibly,  S.  M.  27. 
Consortium,     L.     n.     Company,    society.    With    probable    musical 

significance  :  De  Sphaer.  Con.  App.  IT,  p.  135.  7.     See  consort. 
Counterpoint,   n.     Melody   added  as   an   accompaniment   to   a   given 

melody  :  C.  243  (variant). 
Cymbal,  n.     H.  208  j  P.  W.  1.  377  ;  3.  366. 
Dance,  1.  v.  tr.     Move  rhythmically  to  the  accompaniment  of  music. 

Of  the  planets  and  spheres  :   P.  L.   8.   125  ;  9.   103. 

2.  intr.     a.  Move    with  dignity    and    rhythm  :  P.  L.   6.   615  ; 
Pi.  87.  25. 

b.  Of  the  planets  and  stars  :  P.  L.  7.  374  ;  M.  M.  2. 

c.  Fig.,  expressing  joy  :  P.  L.  5.  395. 

3.  Move  with  rhythmic  grace,  expressive  of  merriment. 

a.  Of  fairies  :    V.  Ex.  60. 

b.  In  rustic  and  pastoral  surroundings  :  LA.  96  ;  A.  96  ; 
C.  883  ;  L.  34. 

4.  Move  in  riotous  carousal. 

a.  Connoting  sensuality  :  P.  L.  11.  619. 

b.  Of  witches  :  P.  L.  2.  664. 

5.  Fig.  of  a  drug,  bubble  merrily  :  C.  673.     Cf.  dancing. 

6.  n.     a.  Dignified,  rhythmical  motion,   to   the  accompaniment 
of  music  :   P.  L.  6.   615  ;   7.   324  ;  C.  974. 

b.  Expressive  of  joy  :  P.  L.  4.  267. 

c.  Of  the  angels  :  P.  L.  5.  619  ;  620  ;  630. 

d.  Of  the  planets  :  P.  L.  3.  580  ;  5.   178. 

e.  Of  pagan  rites  :  H.  210. 

7.  Dainty,  graceful  motion,  expressive  of  merriment. 

a.  Of  fairies  :  P.  L.   1.  786. 

b.  In  rustic  surroundings  :  C.  952. 

8.  Carousal,    with    musical    accompaniment  :    P.    L%    4.    768  ; 
11.  584  :  C.   104  :   176. 


Glossary  159 

9.   The  music  of  a  dance  :   P.  L.  8.  243.     Cf.  E.  5.   120  ;  6. 

40-48  ;  Ad  Sals.  5  ;  Epit.  Dam.  85  ;  218-219  ;  Ad  Sous.  8. 
Dancer,  n.    8.  A.   1325  ;   P.    IT.  2.  73. 
Dancing,  v.  adj.     a.   Fig.,  of  wine,  bubbling  merrily  :   S.   A.   543. 

Cf.  dance  (5)  above. 

b.  Contemptuously,  of  the  clergy  :  P.  W.  2.  6. 
Delias,  Lat.  n.     Apollo  as  god  of  music  :  E.  5.  13  ;  14.     See  Apollo, 

Paean,  Phoebus. 
Demodocus,  n.     The  minstrel  of  the  Phaeacians  :    V.  Ex.  48. 
Descant,   1.   v.  intr.     Improiise  variations  upon  a  set  then*  :   Fig., 

S.  A.  1228. 

2.  n.     Extempore    variations   on  a  plain  -  song,    or  set    theme  : 

P.  L.  4.  603  ;  P.    W.  3.  476. 
Diapason,  n.     The  interval  of  the  octave.     "  In  perfect  Diapason," ; 

in  parallel  movement  an  octave  lower  :  S.  M.  23. 
Din,  n.     1.  Loud,  confused  noise  :  P.  L.  1.  668  ;  2.  1O40  ;  6.  408  ; 

10.  521  ;  12.  61. 

2.  Soise.  of  the  crowing  of  a  cock  :  UA.  49. 

3.  Discord  :  S.  M.  20. 

Discord,  n.  a.  Lad:  of  concord  :  P.  L.  6.  210  ;  897  ;  7.  217  j  9. 
1124  ;  P.  W.  2.  33. 

b.  Personified  :  P.  L.  2.  967  ;  10.  707  ;  In  Quint.  Sov.  142. 

Disproportion,  n.  Discord  :  Fig.,  P.  IT.  3.  392.  See  dispropor- 
tioned,  proportion,  well-proportioned. 

Disproportioned,  v.  adj.  Lacking  in  harmony  :  S.  M.  19.  See 
disproportion,  proportion,   y:ell- proportioned. 

Dissonance,  n.     Discord  :  P.  L.  7.  32  ;  C.  550. 

Dissonant,  adj.     Discordant  :  S.  A.  662  ;  P.  W.  1.  241  ;  3.  237. 

Ditty,  n.  A  simple  but  often  solemn  song.  Milton  emphasizes  the 
importance  of  the  words.  Cf.  "  smooth-  dittied/'  applied  to 
the  music  of  Lawes,  C.  86  :  P.  L.  1.  449  ;  11.  584  ;  L.  32  j  P.  IT. 
1.  8  ;  3.  476. 

Divinely- warbled,  v.  adj.     Sung  by  the  celestial  choirs  :  H.  96. 

Divisions,   n.  pi.     Florid,  melodic  passages  :  P.  W.  3.  62. 

Doni,  It.  n.  Giovanni  Battista  Doni,  a  musician  and  scholar,  con- 
temporary with  Milton  :  P.  W.  3.  499.     See  p.  22. 

Dorian,  adj.  In  the  Dorian  mode  of  Greek  music,  hence,  grave  and 
noble  :  P.  L.   1.  550  ;  P.  E.  4.  257. 

Doric,  adj.     a.  Dorian  (q.  v.)  :  P.  W.  2.  73. 

b.  "  Doric  lay,"  pastoral  song  :  L.  189. 

Drone,  n.  Monotonous  sound  of  a  plain-song,  or  set  theme  :  P. 
W.  3.  62. 


160  Milton  s  Knowledge  of  Music 

Draides,  L.  n.  pi.:  Ad  Mans.  41  ;  42.     See  Druids. 

Druids,  n.  pi.     Ancient  Celtic  bards  :  L.  53. 

Dram,  n.     1.  As  a  signal  :  P.  W.  2.  45. 
2.  In  barbaric  rites  :  P.  L.  1.  394. 

Dulcet,  adj.     Sweet  to  the  ear  :  P.  L.  1.  712.     See  sweet. 

Dulcimer,  n.  A  wind-instrument  similar  to  the  bag-pipe  :  P. 
L.  7.  596.  Milton  probably  took  the  name  from  the  English 
version  of  Daniel  3.  5,  10,  15,  where,  however,  it  is  a  mistrans- 
lation of  "  symphony."     Cf.  Revised  Version. 

Ebur,  L.  n.     The  ivory  plectrum,  used  for  playing  the  lyre  :  E.   6.  43. 

Echo,  1.  v.     a.  tr.     Repeat  in  manner  of  an  echo  :    P.  L.  5.  873. 
b.  intr.  Resound  :  V A.  56. 
2.  n.  a.  Repercussion  of  sound :  P.  L.  10.  861  ;  H.  100  ;  P.  53  ; 
L.  47. 
b.  A  nymph  who  loved  Narcissus  :  C.  230;  275. 

Echoing,  v.  adj.     Giving  back  sound  :  P.  L.  4.  681  ;  9.  1107. 

Enchanting,  v.  adj.  With  suggestion  of  singing :  L.  59 ;  P.  R.  2. 
158.     Cf.  charming  (1). 

Erato,  L.  n.     The  muse  of  lyric  and  amorous  poetry  :  E.  6.  51. 

Even-song,  n.     II  P.  64. 

Fancied,  adj.     Fanciful  :  P.  W.  3.  476. 

Fancies,  n.  pi.  Fantasies,  instrumental  compositions  of  a  free  and 
informal  type,  producing  the  effect  of  improvisation.  Possibly 
with  some  suggestion  of  this  meaning  :  P.  L.  5.  296. 

Fiddler,  n.  A  term  of  contempt  with  Milton.  "  Municipal  fiddler," 
a  travelling  musician  :  P.   W.  2.  73. 

Flourish,  n.     A  loud  trumpet-call  :  Fig.,  P.  W.  1.  20  ;  92  ;  106  ;  137. 

Flute,  n.  Regarded  by  Milton  as  of  the  ancient  Greek  style  (see 
p.  40)  :  P.  L.  1.  551  ;  C.  173  ;  L.  33. 

Fret,  n.  A  small  ridge  set  across  the  finger-board  of  a  stringed  in- 
strument to  mark  the  stopping -place  for  a  particular  note  :  P. 
L.  7.  597. 

Fugue,  n.  A  composition  for  the  organ  in  canon  form  (see  p.  47-48): 
P.  L.  11.  563  ;  P.   W.  3.  476. 

Gamut,  n.  The  musical  scale,  hence,  the  compass  or  range  of  an 
instrument.     Used  contemptuously  :  P.  W.  2.  73. 

Grate,  v.  1.  tr.  Produce  harsh  sounds  by  friction  of  surfaces  : 
P.  L.  2.  881. 

2.  intr.     Sound  harshly  :  L.  124. 

Guitar,  n.  A  six-stringed  instrument  of  the  lute  class  of  Spanish 
origin  :  P.   W.  2.  73. 

Hallelu,  n.     Praise  :   S.   M.    18   {variant).     See  hallelujah. 


Glossary  161 

Hallelujah,   n.      Song  of  praise  to  God  :    P.   L.   2.   243  ;    6.   744  ; 

7.  634  ;  10.  642  ;  P.  W.  2.  418  ;  479.     Cf.  haUelu. 
Harmonia,   L.    n.     Harmony,   daughter  of   Jove  and  Electra  :   De 

Sphaer.  Con.  App.  IV,  p.   134,  1.  14  (see  n.). 
Harmony,  n.     I.  A  fitting  or  adjustment  of  parts,  hence, 

a.  System  in  music  :  P.  R.  4.  255  ;   V.  Ex.  51  ;  H.  107 
131  ;  P.  W.  1.  232  ;  279. 

b.  Fig.,  agreement,  order  :    P.  L.   8.   384  ;  605  ;   10.  358 
P.  W.  2.  90  ;  3.  207. 

c.  Melody  which  follows  a  definite  system  :    P.  L.   7.   560 
A.  63  ;   C.   243  ;   P.  W.  3.  476. 

d.  Personified  :  P.  L.  5.  625  ;  U  A.  144. 
2.  Musical  concord  :  P.  L.  2.  552  ;  6.  65  ;  fig.,  P.  W .  3.  346. 

Harp,  1.  v.  intr.     Play  upon  a  harp  :  H.  115  ;  P.   W.  2.  479. 

2.  n.  Hebrew  stringed  instrument  of  accompaniment  :  P.  L.  2. 
548  ;  3.  365  ;  366  ;  5.  151  ;  7.  258  ;  559  ;  594  ;  11.  560  ;  583  ; 
P.  R.  4.  336  ;  Ps.  81.  8  ;  S.    M.   13. 

3.  The  lyre  of  classical  mythology  :  P.  L.  7.  37  ;  P.W.  3.  467. 

4.  Poetic  composition.  The  harp  is  here  analogous  with  the 
conventional  lyre  :   P.  L.  3.  414  ;  P.  9. 

5.  Music  sung  to  the  accompaniment  of  the  harp  :  P.  L.  7.  450. 
Harsh,  adj.  Discordant :  P.  L.  2.  882  ;  S.  A.  662  ;  C.  477  ;  S.  M.  20. 
High,  adj.  1.  Complicated  in  musical  proportions  :   P.  L.   11.  562. 

2.  Sublime  :  II  P.   163  ;  L.  87  ;  P.  FT.   2.  418. 
Hit,  v.  tr.     Strike  a  note,  with  hand  or  voice  :  P.  R.  4.  255  ;  A.  77. 
Horn,  n.     UA.  53  ;  A.  57  ;  fig.,  L.  28. 

Hosanna,  n.     Milton    emphasizes    the    Hebrew    meaning,    "  Save, 
now  "  :   P.  L.  3.  348  ;  6.  205  ;  P.W.  1.  316  ;  2.  489  (two  reff.). 
Hubbub,  n.     P.  L.  2.  951  ;  12.  60. 

Hymenaean,  n.     Marriage  hymn  :  P.  L.  4.  711.     Cf.  E.  5.  105-106. 
Hymn,  1.  v.  a.  tr.     Celebrate  in  sacred  song  :  P.  L.  4.  944  ;  6.  96. 
b.  intr.     Sing  sacred  songs  of  praise  :  P.  L.  7.  258. 
2.  n.     Sacred  song. 

a.  Christian  :  P.  L.  2.  242  ;  3. 148  ;  5.  656  ;  6.  745  ;P.R.l. 
169  ;  4.  335  ;  H.  17  ;  &  M.  15  ;  5.  13.  11  ;  Ps.  81.  5  ; 
P.  IF.  2.  418  ;  479  (2)  ;  3.  57  (two  reff.)  ;  152. 
b.  Pagan  :   P.  R.  4.  341  ;  P.  W.  1.  125  ;  2.  479  (1). 
Innumerable,  adj.     Without  number.      Hence   also  transcending  the 
laws  of  musical  number  :  P.  L.  3.  147.     Cf.  "  inenarrabile  carmen," 
Ad  P.  37.     See  numerous. 
Insonare,  L.  v.  intr      Sound :   E.  6.  38.    See  sonare. 
P.  L.  11.  559  ;  P.  W.  1.  232  ;  462. 

1 


162  Milton  s  Knowledge  of  Music 

Instrumental,   adj.     Made  by  musical  instruments  :    P.  L.  4.  686  ; 

6.  65. 
Jangle,  v.  intr.     Sound  discordantly  :   P.  W.   1.   167. 
Jangling,  v.  adj.     Discordant  :  P.  L.  12.  55  ;  P.  W.  3.  56. 
Jar,  v.  intr.     Sound  discordantly  :  S.  M.  20  ;  fig.,  P.  L.  5.  793  ;  P.  W. 

2.  126. 
Jarring,  v.  adj.     Discordant  :  P.  L.  2.  880 ;  6.  315  ;  P.  If.  2.  474  ; 

fig.,  P.  W.  2.  370. 
Jig,  n.     1.  A  light  and  lively  rustic  dance  :  C.  952  ;  P.  W.  1.  323. 

2.   The  music  of  such  a  dance  :  P.  W.  3.  158. 
Jocund,  adj.     Gay,  lively  :  P.  L.  1.  787  ;  UA.  94  ;  C.  173. 
Jubilant,  adj.     Rejoicing  with  songs  and  shouts  :  P.  L.  7.  564. 
Jubilee,  n.     Joyful  shout,  of  a  sacred  character  :  P.  L.  3.  348  ;  6.  884  ; 

S.  M.  9. 
Lawes,  n.     Henry  Lawes,  the  composer  :  S.  13  (title).     See  App.  II. 
Lay,  n.  Song.  a.  Of  the  nightingale  :  P.  L.  7.  436  ;  S.  1.  8. 

b.  Of  a  pastoral  character  :  C.  849  ;  L.  44  ;  189. 
Linked,  v.  adj.     Having  a  melodic  connection  or  progress  according 

to  the  laws  of  music  :    UA.  140. 
Liquid,  adj.  Describing  pure,  clear,  rippling  tones  :  S.  1.  5  ;  P.  L.  7. 

68  ;  8.  263. 
Lofty,  adj.     Solemn,  sublime  :  L.  11  ;  Ps.  81.   10. 
Loud,  adj.     Describing  musical  sounds  :  P.  L.  1.  394  ;  532  ;  2.  921  ; 

5.  193;  6.  59;  12.  229;   S.  A.  1510;   H.  115;  215;  S.  M.  11  ; 

11  P.   126  ;    V.  Ex.  24  ;  L.  17. 
Loud-sounding,  v.  adj.  :  P.  W .  1.  232. 
Low,    adj.     In   simple   musical   proportions  :    P.    L.    11.    562.     Cf. 

high  (1). 
Lull,  v.  tr.     Compose  to  sleep  or  rest  as  with  a  lullaby  :  P.  L.  2.  287  ; 

4.  771  ;  UA.  116  ;  A.  69  ;    V.  Ex.  84. 
Lute,  n.     1.  The  most  popular  stringed  instrument  of  Milton's  day. 

It  was  similar  to  the  guitar,  but  with  a  pear-shaped  back,  no  ribs, 

and  a  shorter  neck.     The  finger-board  was  fretted,  and  the  in- 
strument was  played  by  plucking  the  strings  with  the  fingers. 

The  number  of  strings  varied  :   P.  L.  5.  151  ;   P.  28  ;  S.  20.  11: 

P.  W.  2.  73  ;  3.  476. 

2.   The  ancient  lyre  :   C.   478.     Cf.   Ad  Leon.   2.   6  ;  and  see 

lyra  (2),  lyre. 
Lydian,  adj.     In  the  Lydian  mode,  hence,  soft,  effeminate,  passionate  : 

UA.  136. 
Lyra,  L.  n.  1.   The  ancient  lyre  :  Epit.  Dam.  218. 

2.   The  lute  :  Ad  Leon.  2.  6.     See  lute  (2),  lyre. 


Glossary  163 

Lyre,   n.     The   most  important  stringed  instrument  of  antiquity. 

Used  by  bards  as  accompaniment  to  their  chanting,  and  played 

either  with  a  plectrum  {xlxiMuv),  or  with  the  fingers  (nXrjaouv, 

xQixeiv,  xqov£iv)  :  P.  L.  3.  17.     See  barbitos,  cetra,  chelys,  cilhara, 

harp,  lute  (2),  lyra,  pecten. 
Lyric,  adj.     Sung  to  the  accompaniment  of  the  lyre  :  P.  R.  4.  257  ; 

S.  A.  1737. 
Madrigal,  n.     a.  Part-song ,   written   in   counterpoint,  icithout  instru- 
mental accompaniment  :  P.  W.  2.  73. 

b.  Pastoral  song  (with  implied  reference  to  Henry  Lawes)  : 
C.  495. 
Masque,   n.     A   form   of   theatrical    entertainment    of    which    music 

constituted  a  part  :  UA.  128  ;  P.  L.  4.  768  ;  fig.,  P.  19  ;  S.  22.  13. 

Cf.  Arcades,  Comus. 
Matin,  1.  n.     Morning  song  :  UA.  114  ;  P.  W .  2.  476. 

2.  adj.     Sounding  in  the  morning  :  P.  L.  5.  7  ;  6.  526  ;  7.  450. 
Mean,  n.      A  tone  between  two  other  tones,  forming  with  them  a  triad. 

Possibly  with  a  suggestion  of  this  meaning  :  S.  A.  207. 
Measure,  n.  1.  A  solemn  and  sublime  dance  :  P.  R.  1.  170. 

2.  Rhythm  :  P.  L.  9.  846  ;  P.  W.  2.  418  ;  3.  135. 
Measured,     v.    adj.      Rhythmical  :    A.  71.     See     various-measured, 

well-measured,  measure. 
Melesigenes,  n.     Homer,  represented  as  a  bard  :  P.  R.  4.  259. 
Melodious,  adj.  Musical  :  P.  L.  3.  371  ;  5.  196  ;  5.  656  ;  11.  559  ; 

U.  129  ;  L.  14  ;  S.  M.  18  ;    V.  Ex.  51  ;  P.  W.  3.  467. 
Melody,  n.     Music  :  P.  L.  8.  528  ;  P.  W.  1.  232. 
Melos,  Gr.  n.     Song.     Among  the  Greeks  it  was  always  in  unison, 

or  at  most  in  octaves,  caused  by  the  mixture  of  men's  and  boys' 

voices.   Milton  seems  to  use  the  term  thus  :  P.  W.  1.  169  :  Ad  P. 

37  ;  Ad  Sals.  22  ;  Ad  Rous.  11. 
Memoria,  L.  n.     Memory  (q.  v.)  :  Be  Id.  Plat.  3. 
Memory,  n.     Mnemosyne,  Mother  of  the  Muses  :   P.    W.   2.   481. 
Metal,   n.     Used  for  the  trumpet  :    P.  L.    1.   540.     See  alchymy, 

sphere-metal. 
Minstrelsy,  n.     1.  Pastoral  music  :  C.  547. 

2.  A  body  of  musicians  :   P.  L.  6.   168. 
Mode,  s.  v.  Mood. 

Modulamen,  L.  n.     Melody  :  Ad  P.  50. 
Modulare,  L.  v.  intr.     Play  or  sing  a  tune  :  E.  5.  113  ;  6.  85  ;  Ad 

Mans.  30. 
Modulus,  L.  n.     A  strain  of  music  :  E.  6.  7  ;  Ad  P.  59. 
Modus,  L.  n.     Mode,  melody  :  E.  2.  23  ;  Epit.  Dam.  89.    See  mood. 

12 


164  Milton's  Knowledge  of  Music 

Mood,  n.  The  Greek  scale  of  eight  tones.  Seven  varieties  are  usually 
distinguished  —  the  Mixolydian ,  Lydian ,  Phrygian ,  Dorian , 
Hypolydian,  Ionian  or  Hypophrygian,  Aeolian  or  Hypodorian. 
Hence,  a  melody  or  tune  :  P.  L.  1.  550  ;  L.  87  ;  S.  A.  662  ;  P. 
W.  1.  460.     See  Modus. 

Morrice,  n.  The  morrice-dance.  In  Milton's  time  it  had  degene- 
rated into  a  disorderly  revel,  and  was  suppressed  by  the  Puritans 
along  with  the  May  games  and  other  "  enticements  unto  naughti- 
ness "  :  C.  116  ;  P.  W.  3.  152. 

Motion,   n.    1.  Movement  productive  of  sound. 

a.  Of  the  heavenly  bodies  :  P.  L.  3.  582  ;  5.  625  ;  7.  500  ; 
8.  35  ;  115  ;  130  ;  10.  658  ;  A.  71. 

b.  Used  abstractly  :   U.  C.  2.  7  ;  8.     Cf.  P.  L.  5.  580-582. 
2.  Melodic  progression  in  song  :  S.  M.  22.     See  move. 

Move,  v.  1.  a.  tr.     Of  the  heavenly  bodies,  as  productive  of  sound  : 

P.  L.  3.  579  ;  8.  130  ;  132. 

b.  intr.  P.  L.  3.  719  ;  5.  177  ;  8.  33  ;  70  ;  10.  652. 
2.  intr.     Change  from  one  tone  to  another  :  H.  129.  See  motion. 
Murmur,  1.  v.  intr.     Give   forth   soft   musical   sounds  :    II    P.    144. 
2.  n.     Soft  musical  sound  :   P.   L.   2.   284  ;    5.    196  ;    7.   68 

P.  R.  4.  248. 
Murmuring,  v.  adj.    Sounding  softly  and  musically  :  P.  L.  4.  260 

453  ;  8.  263. 
Musa,  L.  n.     A  Muse  (q.  v.)  :  E.  1.  25  ;  69  ;  2.  18  ;  4.  51  ;  5.  30 

6.  3  ;  22  ;  Ad  P.  5  ;  56  ;  Ad  Sals.  31  ;  Ad  Mans.  9  ;  55  ;  Epit 

Dam.  13  ;  126.    Cf.  De  Id,  Plat.  1-3  ;  Ad  Mans.  2.    See  Camoena 
Musaeus,  n.     Mythical  Greek  poet  and  musician  :   11  P.   104. 
Muse,  n.   1.     One  of  the  nine  goddesses,    the  daughters  of  Zeus  and 

Mnemosyne    (see   Memory)   who   presided  over  the  liberal  arts  : 

P.  L.  3.  27  ;  7.  6  ;  37  ;  II  P.  47  ;  L.  58  ;  59  ;  S.  1.  13  ;  8.  9  ; 

P.    W.   1.   115  ;  3.   140  ;  488  (two  reff.)  ;  502. 

2.  The  power  that  inspires  poetry,  personified  :  P.  L.  1.  6  ; 
376  ;  3.   19  ;   P.  4  ;  C.  515  ;  L.   133  ;  H.   15  ;    V.  Ex.  53. 

3.  Poetry  :  L.  66  ;  P.  W.  3.  489. 

4.  Poet,  bard  :  L.  19.  Cf.  "  dame  Memory  and  her  siren 
daughters  "  :  P.  W.  2.  481.  See  Camoena,  Clio,  Erato,  Musa, 
Thalia,   Urania. 

Music,  n.  1.  The  art  of  the  rhythmic  and  harmonic  combination  of 
tones  :  A.  68  ;  S.  13.  2  ;   P.    W.   1.  255  ;  3.  61  ;  476. 

2.  Melody  or  harmony  in  general  :  P.  L.  1.  787  ;  5.  648  ;  11. 
592  ;  P.  R.  4.  332  ;  #.  93  ;  117  ;  II  P.  151  ;  A.  74  ;  S.  M.  21  ; 
P.  1  ;  Cir.  2  ;  P.  W.  2.  73. 


Glossary  165 

Musical,  adj.  1.  Skilled  in  music  :  P.   W.  3.  488. 

2.  Consisting  of  music  :  P.  W.  3.  499. 

3.  Melodious  :  C.  478  ;  11  P.  62. 
Musician,  n.  :  P.  W.  1.  58. 

Nightingale,  n.  :  P.  L.  4.  602  ;  771  ;  5.  41  ;  7.  435  ;  C.  234  ;  566  ; 

5.  1.  1.     Cf.  "  Bird  of  night "  :  P.  £.  8.  518.     See  Attic  bird, 
Philomel. 

Night- warbling,  v.  adj.     P.  L.  5.  40.     See  warbling. 
Noise,  n.  1.  A  band  of  musicians,  or  its  music  :  H.  97  ;  S.  M.  18  ; 
possibly,  P.  L.  1.  394  ;  8.  243  ;  11  P.  61. 

2.  Confused  sound,  usually  loud  :  P.  L.  1.  498  ;  2.  896  ;  957  ; 

6.  211  ;  667  ;  12.  55  ;  S.  A.  1508  ;  1509  ;  1511  ;  C.  170  ;  S.  12.  3. 

3.  Sound  in  general  :  P.  L.  2.  64  ;  6.  487  ;  10.  567  ;  C.  369. 
Note,  n.     1.  Musical  character  representing  a  tone  :   S.    13.   3. 

2.  Musical  tone  :  P.  L.  2.  494  ;  548  ;  3.  17  :  40  ;  4.  683  ;  5. 
199  ;  9.  6  ;  P.  R.  4.  246  ;  437  ;  P.  9  ;  H.  116  ;  V A.  134  ;  139  ; 
11  P.  106  ;  S.  1.  5  ;  20.  12  ;  P.  W.  1.  367. 

Number,  1.  v.  tr.     Regulate  :   U.  C.  2.  7  ;  8. 

2.  n.  Mathematical  element  in  music.  Hence,  rhythm,  musical 
measure  :  P.  L.  3.  38  ;  346  ;  580  ;  P.  R.  4.  255  ;  On  Shakes.  10. 

Numerous,  adj.  Regulated  by  number,  rhythmical  :  P.  L.  5.  150  ; 
P.  PP.  3.  117.     See  innumerable. 

Oat,  n.     Shepherd's  pipe :  L.  88.    See  arundo,  cicuta,  pipe,  reed. 

Oaten,  adj.     Made  of  the  stem  of  the  oat  :  L.  33  ;  C.  345. 

Ode,  n.  Elaborate  lyric  poem  expressive  of  exalted  or  enthusiastic 
emotion,  intended  to  be  sung.  Milton  probably  had  in  mind  the 
triumphant  songs  of  Pindar  :  P.  JR.  1.  182  ;  4.  257  ;  H.  24  ; 
P.  W.  2.  57  ;  479. 

Organ,  n.  1.  The  organ  of  Milton's  day  was  an  elaborate  structure 
and  capable  of  producing  a  great  variety  of  sounds.  A  typical 
example  was  the  organ  at  York  Cathedral,  built  by  Robert 
Dallam,  and  presented  by  Charles  I.  "  Every  stop  contained 
51  pipes,  so  we  may  conclude  that  the  semitones  were  divided  ; 
it  had  a  great  organ  of  nine  stops  and  choir  organ  of  five,  and 
three  pairs  of  bellows,  but  no  pedals,  for  pedals  seem  to  have 
been  unknown  in  England  until  the  last  decade  of  the  eighteenth 
century."  (C.  F.  A.  Williams,  Story  of  the  Organ,  1903,  p.  108)  : 
P.  L.  1.  708  ;  7.  596  ;  11.  560 ;  H.  130 ;  11  P.  161  ;  P.  W.  3.  476. 
2.   Wind-instruments  in  general  :  P.  L.  7.  596. 

Organist,  n.  :    P.  W.  3.  476. 

Orpheus,  n.  The  Thracian  singer,  son  of  Calliope  :  P.  «£.  3.  17  ■ 
L'A.  145  ;  11  P.  105  ;  L.  58  ;  P.  W.  3.  467  ;  Ad  P.  52. 


166  Milton's  Knowledge  of  Music 

Paean,  L.  n.     Apollo  as  god  of  music  :   Ad  Sals.  25.      See  Apollo$ 

Delius,  Phoebus. 
Pan,  n.     The  sylvan  god,  as  a  lover  of  music  :  P.  L.  4.  266  ;  C.  176  ; 

268  ;  Epit.  Dam.  52  ;  S.   13.  6  (variant). 
Part.  n.     The  melody  given  to  a  voice  or  instrument  in  a  concerted 

piece  of  music  :  P.  L.  3.  371. 
Partial,  adj.     Sung  independently,  without  concerted  harmony,  hence, 

selfish  :  P.  L.  2.  552. 
Pastoral,  adj.     Pertaining  to  shepherds  and  their  music  :  P.  L.   11. 

132  ;  C.  345. 
Peal,  1.  v.  tr.     Assail  with  loud,  metallic  sounds  :  P.  L.  2.  920. 
2.  n.     Loud,  metallic  sound. 

a.  Of  the  trumpet  :  P.  L.  3.  329. 

b.  Of  the  barking  of  dogs  :   P.  L.  2.  656. 

c.  Of  a  volley  of  words  :  S.  A.  235  ;  906. 

Pealing,  v.  adj.     Of  the  sound  of  the  trumpet-stops  in  an  organ  : 

II  P.  161. 
Pecten,  L.  n.    Plectrum  for  playing  the  ancient  lyre.    By  synechdoche, 

the  lyre  itself.     Hence,  fig.,   poetry  or  song  :   Ad  Rous.  10.     Cf. 

plectrum. 
Personating,  v.  adj.     Sounding  forth  :  P.  R.  4.  341. 
Philomel,    n.     The   nightingale  (q.  v.)  :  II  P.  56.      See   also  Attic 

bird,  Philomela. 
Philomela,  L.  n.  :  E.  5.  25.     See  Philomel. 
Phoebus,  n.  1.  Apollo  as  god  of  music  and  poetry  :    P.  R.  4.  260  ; 

L.  77  ;  S.  13.   10 ;  E.  6.  15  ;  33  ;  45 ;  Ad  P.  64 ;  Ad  Sals.  24 

Ad  Rous.  63  ;  Ad  Mans.  2  ;  24  ;  35  ;  38  (two  reff.).     See  Apollo, 

Delius,  Paean. 

2.  Song,  poetry  :   P.  23. 
Pipe,  1.  v.  intr.     Play  on  a  pipe  i  C.  823  ;  fig.,  II  P.  126. 

2.  n.     An  organ-pipe  :   P.  L.   1.  709. 

3.  The  pastoral  wind-instrument  :  P.  L.  11.  132  ;  P.  R.  1.  480 
C.  173  ;  L.  124  ;  S.  13.  6  {variant). 

4.  A  flute  :  P.  L.  1.  561  ;  7.  595  ;  P.  R.  2.  363  ;  S.  A.  1616  ; 
P.  W.  3.  184.     See  arundo,  cicuta,  oat,  reed. 

Pitch,  n.     The  position  of  any  sound  in  the  musical  scale  :   P.  W .  1. 

232. 
Plain-song,  n.     A   theme  on  which  variations  can  be  played,  or  to 

which  harmonies  may  be  added  :   P.   W.  3.  62. 
Play,  v.  intr.     To  make  music  :   P.  L.  7.   10. 
Plectrum,  L.  n.     A  small  piece  of  ivory  or  metal  sometimes  used  for 

playing  the  ancient  lyre  :  E.  6.  43  ;  Ad  P.  33.     Cf.  pecten. 


Glossary  167 

Prattle,  v.  intr.  Utter  a  continuous  tinkling  sound  :  P.  W.  2.  73. 
Preamble,  n.     Musical  prelude  :  P.  L.  3.  367. 

Prelude,  n.  Introduction  to  a  musical  composition  :  P.  W.  1.  245. 
Proaemium,  L.  n.  In  Greek  music,  the  prelude  :  P.  W.  1.  232. 
Proem,  n.  Shortened  form  of  proaemium  (q.  v.)  :  P.  L.  9.  549. 
Proportion,  1.  v.  tr.     Regulate  according  to  the  laws  of  harmony  : 

S.  A.  209. 

2.  n.     Mathematical  relation  of  intervals  and  rhythm  in  music  : 

P.  L.  11.  562  ;  fig.,  P.  L.  8.  385.      See   disproportion,    dispro- 

portioned,   proportional,   well-proportioned,   and  the  explanations 

given  above,  p.   138. 
Proportional,  adj.     Harmonious  :  fig.,  P.  W.  2.  90. 
Psallere  (Gr.  xpdXteiv),  L.  v.  intr.     Play  upon  a  stringed  instrument 

with  a  plectrum  :  E.  6.  43. 
Psalm,  n.     Sacred  song  :  P.  R.  4.  335  ;  S.  M.  15. 
Psalmistry,  n.     Singing  of  psalms  :  P.  W.  1.  325. 
Psaltery,  n.     Ancient  Hebrew  stringed  instrument  :   Ps.  81.   7. 
Quill,  n.  Shepherd's  pipe  :  L.  188. 
Quire,  n.     See  choir. 

Rebeck,  n.  A  primitive,  shriU-toned,  rustic  fiddle  :  UA.  94  ;  P.W.  2. 73. 
Recorder,  n.     A  flute  or  flageolet,  similar  to  the  ancient  Greek  in* 

strument  :  P.  L.  1.  551. 
Reed,  n.     Pastoral  pipe  :  P.  L.  11. 132;  C.  345  ;  L.  86.     See  arundo, 

cicuta,  oat,  pipe. 
Resonant,  adj.     Repeating  the  same   theme    again   and   again  :    P. 

L.  11.  563.     See  resounding  (2). 
Resound,  v.  a.  tr.    Sound  again,  re-echo  :  P.  L.  2.  789  ;  3. 149  ;  10. 862. 
b.  intr.  :    P.  L.  1.  315  ;  6.  218  ;  10.  862  ;  P.  R.  2.  290  : 
H.  182. 
Resounding,  v.  adj.     1.  Echoing  :  H.  182. 

2.  Re-echoingt  as  in  counterpoint  :  C.  243.     See  resonant. 
Responsories,   n.    pi.     Musical  answers   in  the  church  service  :    P. 

W.  1.  460  ;  2.  61. 
Responsive,  adj.     Singing  in  parts  or  in  the  manner  of  a  duet  :   P. 

L.  4.  683. 
Ring,  1.  v.  tr.     Sound,  as  of  vibrating  metal  :  P.  L.  2.  655  ;  6.  204  ; 

UA.  114  ;  Ps.  81.  4. 

2.  intr.     Give  the  sound  of  vibrating  metal  :  H.  125  ;  UA.  93. 

3.  intr.  Resound,  reverberate  :  P.  L.  2.  495  ;  723  ;  3.  347  ; 
7.  562 ;  633  ;  9.  737  ;  H.  158  ;  P.  2  ;  fig.,  S.  A.  1449 ;  S.  15.  1  ; 
22.  12. 

4.  n.     Sound  produced  by  striking  metal  :  H.  208. 


168  Milton  s  Knowledge  of  Music 

Roar,  1.  v.  intr.     Make  a  loud  sound  :  P.  L.  2.  267  ;  6.  871  ;  11. 
713  ;  P.  R.  4.  463  ;  C.  87  ;    V.  Ex.  86. 

2.  n.     Full,  deep  sound  :  P.  L.  6.  586  ;  P.  R.  4.  428  ;  II  P.  76. 

3.  n.     Confused,  loud  sound  :  C.  549  ;  L.  61. 

Round,  1.  v.  intr.     Pace  about  to  the  sound  of  music  :  P.  L.  4.  685. 
2.  n.     A   dance  with  accompanying  song  :    P.   L.   8.   125  ;   C. 

114  ;  144. 
Roundel,  n.     A  popular  song  in  canon  form  :  P.  W.  2.  57. 
Rule,  n.     Mathematical  law  in  music  :   P.  L.  5.  297. 
Sacred,  adj.     Applied  to  music  :  P.  L.  3.  29  ;  149  ;  369  ;  Ps.  87.  26. 
Scrannel,  adj.     Making  a  thin,  rasping  sound  :   L.   124. 
Serenate,  n.     Serenade,  love-song  :  P.  L.  4.  769. 
Service,  n.     Religious  worship  accompanied  by  music  :  II  P.  163  ; 

H.  244. 
Set,  v.  tr.  Put  words  to  music  :  P.   W.  2.  73. 
Shout,  1.  v.  intr.     Cry  aloud  in  exultation  :  S.  A.  1473. 

2.  n.     Loud  outcry  :   P.  L.   1.  542  ;  2.  520  ;  3.  345  ;  6.  96  ; 

200  ;  7.  256  ;  10.  505  ;  S.  A.  1472  ;  1510  ;  1620 ;  C.  103  ;  S.  M.  9. 
Shrill,  adj.     P.  L.  5.  7  ;  UA.  56. 
Sigh,  v.  intr.     P.  L.  2.  788  ;  9.  783. 
Sighing,  v.  n.     H.  186. 
Signal,  n.     Musical  call,  inciting  to  action  :  P.  L.  1.  278  ;  347  ;  776  ; 

2.  717  ;  11.  72  ;  12.  593. 
Sing,  v.  I.  tr.  1.  Express  in  rhythmical  form. 

a.  Of  Milton's  own  poetry  :  P.  R.  1.  1  ;  2. 

b.  Of  poetry  or  verse  :  A.  29  ;  S.  A.  203  ;  Ps.  7.  63  ;  P. 
W.  2.  479  ;  3.  118. 

c.  Of  prophecy  :   P.  L.   12.  324  ;  P.  JR.  3.  178. 

2.  Chant  to  instrumental  accompaniment. 

a.  Of  bards  :    V.  Ex.  37  ;  //  P.  105  ;  117  ;  S.  A.  983. 

b.  Of  the  celestial  choirs  :  P.  L.  2.  242  ;  547  ;  3.  372  ; 
383  ;  4.  684  ;  711  :  5.  405  ;  6.  744  ;  886  (two  reff.)  ; 
7.  182  ;  259  ;  275  ;  565  ;  601  ;  10.  642  ;  12.  367  ;  P.  R. 
4.  506  ;  594  ;  637  ;  Circ.  4  ;  S.  M.  7  ;  16  ;  P.  W .  2.  418. 

c.  Of  celebration  in  general  :  P.  L.  5.  148  ;  P.  R.  4.  339  ; 
P.  W.  3.  344.     See  canere,  cantare. 

3.  Utter  by  means  of  a  set  melody  :    P.  L.  4.  769  ;    11.  583  ; 
P.  W.  1.  462  ;  2.  73. 

4.  Utter   melodiously.     Of    the    nightingale  :    P.    L.    4.    603  ; 
8.  519. 

II.  intr.   1.  Express  thought  in  rhythmical  form. 

a.  Of  Milton's  own  poetry  ;  P.  L.  3.  18  ;  7.  24  ;  V.  Ex.  45. 


Glossary  169 

b.  Of  poetry    in    general  :   LA.   17  ;  49  ;   P.    TV.   3.   331. 

c.  Of  prophecy  :   P.  L.   12.  244  ;  H.  5. 

2.  Chant  to  instrumental  accompaniment. 

a.  Of  a  bard  :  P.  R.  4.  258  ;  L.  10  ;  11  ;  186. 

b.  Of  the  Muses  ;  P.  L.  1.  6  ;  11  P.  48  ;  P.  4. 

c.  Of  the  celestial  choirs  :  P.  L.  2.  553  ;  7.  192  ;  673  ;  633  ; 
10.  643;  P.  R.  1.  171;  172;  243;  H.  119;  S.  M.  28; 
Z,.   179  ;   180  ;   Ps.  5.  35. 

d.  Of  the  sirens  on  the  spheres  :  A.  65. 

e.  Of  Circe  and  her  sirens  :  C.  256. 

f.  Of  the  Hesperides  :   C.   983.     See  canere,  cantare. 

3.  Utter  words  to  a  set  melody  :  P.  L.  11.  619  ;  S.  13.  13  ;  V. 
Ex.  63  ;  Ps.  81.  1  ;  2  ;  87.  25. 

4.  Make  melodious  sounds. 

a.  Of  birds  :  P.  L.  3.  39  ;  5.  198  ;  LA.  7  ;  42  ;  8.  1.  9  ;  11. 

b.  Of  the  bee  :  II  P.   143. 

c.  Of  stringed  instruments  :  P.  R.  1.  172. 

d.  Of  the  trumpet  :  P.  L.  6.  526.     See  song. 
Singing-robes,  n.     Choristers'  garments  :  P.   JF.  2.  477. 

Siren,  n.  1.     One  of  the  nymphs  who  bewitched  men  by  their  singing  : 
C.  253  ;  878  ;  P.   W.  3.  517. 

2.  A  female  singer,  sitting  one  upon  each   of  the  nine  spheres. 
"  sounding  a  single  note'":  A.  63  ;  S.  M.  1. 

3.  One  of  the  Muses,  possibly  as  identified  with  the  sirens  of 
the  spheres  :  P.  W.  2.  481. 

Sirena,  L.  n.    Siren  of  the  spheres  :  De  Sphaer.  Con.t  App.  IV,  p.  133, 

1.  3.     See  Siren  (2). 
Soft,  adj.     P.  L.  1.  551  ;  561  ;  7.  436  ;  598  ;  11.  584  ;  848  ;  LA. 

136  ;  C.  86  ;  259  ;  555  ;  L.  44  ;   P.  27  ;  S.  1.  8. 
Sole,  adj.     Singing   solo  parts  :    P.    L.  4.   683. 
Solemn-breathing,  v.  adj.     Of  vocal  music  :  C.  555.      See   breathe. 
Sol-fa,  n.     A  system  of  syllables  for  singing  the  musical  scale  :    P. 

W.  2.  86. 
Sonare,  L.  v.  intr.    Sound  :  E.  4.  118  ;  5.  21  ;  EpiU  Dam.  61;  120;  155. 

See  insonare. 
Song,  n.  1.  Expression  of  thought  in  rhythmical  form. 

a.  Of  Milton's  own  poetry  :  P.  L.  1.  13  ;  3.  413  ;  7.  30  ; 
9.  25  ;  P.  R.  1.  12  ;  H.  239  ;  P.  8  ;  M.  M .  9. 

b.  Of  sublime  diction  in  general  :  P.  L.  7.  107  ;  10.  862  ; 
P.W.I.  60. 

c.  Of  poetry  ;  P.  R.  4.   336  ;  347  ;  fig.,  P.   W.  3.  453. 


170  Milton's  Knowledge  of  Music 

2.  Chant  to  instrumental  accompaniment. 

a.  Of  a  bard  :    V.  Ex.  49  ;  C.  44. 

b.  Of  the  celestial  choirs  :  P.  L.  2.  252  ;  3.  148  ;  369  ; 
4.  687  ;  944  ;  5.  161  ;  547  ;  619;  6.  167  ;  10.  648  ; 
P.  R.  4.  505  ;  H.  133  ;  Circ.  2  ;  S.  M .  6  ;  25  ;  L.  176  ; 
P.  W.  3.   122. 

c.  Of  dignified  singing  in  general  :  P.  L.  1.  441  ;  2.  556  ; 
3.  29  ;  5.  204  ;  7.  12  ;  9.  800 ;  P.  R.  4.  341  ;  Ps.  81.  5  ; 
87.  26  ;  P.  W.  2.  57  ;  407  ;  3.  58  ;  517.      See  carmen. 

3.  Melody  set  to  words :  P.  L.  8.  243  ;  11.  594  :  P.  R.  1.  480  ; 
S.  A.  1737  ;  C.  86  ;  268  ;  854  ;  878  ;  L.  36  ;  S.  13.  1  ;  P.  W.  1. 
462  ;  2.  73  ;  fig.,  P.  W.   1.  450  ;  2.  476.     See  cantus. 

4.  Musical  sound. 

a.  Of  birds  :  P.  L.  5.  7  ;  41  ;  7.  433  ;  P.  R.  2.  281  ;  C.  235  • 
II  P.  56. 

b.  Of  the  pipe  :  L.  123. 

c.  Of  the  spheres  ;  P.  L.  5.  178.     See  sing. 
Sonitus,  L.  n.     Sound  :  E.  5.  12.     See  sound  (2). 

Sonus,  L.  n.     Sound  :  Ad  Leon.  1.  8  ;  Ad  P.  4  ;  #/n*.  Dam.   159. 

See  sound  (2). 
Sound,  1.  v.  a.  tr.     Announce  by  a  sound  :   P.  L.  7.  443. 

b.  Cause  to  sound  :   P.  L.  6.  202. 

c.  Proclaim  :   P.  L.  5.   172. 

d.  intr.  Give  forth  sound  :  P.  L.  6.  204  ;  11.  76  ;  P.  26  ; 
J74.  94  ;  11  P.  74. 

2.  n.  Of  musical  instruments,  or  of  the  voice:  P.  L.  1.  531  ; 
540  ;  711  ;  754  ;  2.  286  ;  476  ;  515  ;  880  ;  952  ;  3.  147  ;  4.  453  ; 
686  ;  5.  5  ;  872  ;  6.  64  ;  97  ;  749  ;  829  ;  7.  206  ;  558  ;  597  ;  8. 
243  ;  606  ;  9.  451  ;  518  ;  10.  642  ;  11.  558  ;  12.  229  ;  P.  R. 
1.  19  ;  2.  403  ;  4.  17  ;  247  ;  C.  345  ;  555  ;  942  ;  H.  53  ;  101  ; 
A.  78  ;  L.  35  ;  S.  M.  3  ;  Ps.  81.  10  ;  V.  Ex.  32  ;  P.  W.  3.  117  ; 
273  ;  522.     See  sonitus,  sonus. 

Sound-board,  n.  In  an  organ,  "  a  structure  consisting  of  grooves, 
channels,  upper-board,  table,  and  sliders,  placed  above  the  wind- 
chest"  (C.  F.  A.  Williams,  Story  of  the  Organ,  1903,  p.  270.  Cf. 
the  figure,  ibid.,  p.   17)  :   P.  L.   1.  709. 

Sounding,  v.  adj.     Giving  forth  sounds  :  P.  L.  1.  668  ;  2.  517  ;  L.  154. 

Span,  v.  tr.  fig.,  Fit  together,  match,  in  setting  music  to  words  : 
S.  13.  2. 

Sphere*,  n.  In  the  Pythagorean  astronomy,  one  of  the  orbs  or  hollow 
globes,  in  which  the  heavenly  bodies  were  set,  revolving  about  tht 
earth  as  a  common  centre,  and  giving  forth  sounds  ifiaudible  to 


Glossary  171 

human  ears  :   P.  L.  5.  169  ;  6.  315  ;  H.  125  ;  A.  64  ;  C.  113.     See 

De  Sphaer.  Con.,  App.  IV. 
Sphere-born,  v.  adj.     Descended  from  the  spheres  :  S.   M.   2. 
Sphere-metal,  n.     The  material  of  which  the  spheres  are  composed, 

through  whose  vibration  musical  sounds  are  produced  :  U.  C.  2.  5. 
Sphery,  adj.     Of  the  spheres  :  C.  1021. 
Stop,  n.  1.  In  a  flute  or  pipe,  one  of  the  holes  stopped  by  the  fingers,  by 

which  the  pitch  is  regulated  :  P.  L.  7.  596  ;  C.  345  ;  L.   188. 
2.  Correspondingly,  in  the  organ,  the  mechanism  for  regulating 

the  sound  by      stopping  "  the  pipes.     For  an  explanation  of  this 

mechanism,  and  its  history,  see  C.  F.  A.  Williams,  Story  of  the 

Organ,  1903,  pp.  31  ;   61-62  ;    267  :    P.  L.  7.  596  ;    11.  561  ;  P. 

W.  3.  476.     Cf.  Epit.  Dam.   135. 
Strain,  n.     Quality  of  melody  or  verse  :  P.  L.  5. 148  ;  H.  17  ;  V  A.  148; 

C.  494  ;  561  ;  L.  87  ;  fig.,  II  P.  174  ;  P.  W.  1.  25  ;  357  ;  369  ; 

2.  57  ;  418  ;  3.  141. 
Strepitus,  L.  n.     The  sound  of  the  lyre  :  Ad  Mans.  63. 
String,  n.      Vibrating  cord  or  wire  of  a  musical  instrument. 

a.  When  Milton  speaks  of  "  the  string  "  or  "  strings  " 
in  general,  he  has  in  mind  the  classic  lyre,  or  its  Scrip- 
tural counterpart,  the  harp  :  P.  L.  7.  597  ;  P.  R.  2.  363  ; 
A.  87  ;  H.  97  ;  II  P.  106  ;  L.  17  ;  Ps.  81.  8. 

b.  Of  the  lute  and  viol  :   P.  27.     See  chord  (1),  wire. 
Style,  n.     Manner  of  musical  expression  :  P.  L.  5.  146. 
Sweep,  v.  tr.     Move  the  hand  as  in  playing  the  lyre  :  L.  17. 
Sweet,  adj.     P.  L.  1.  712  ;  3.  346  ;  367  ;  7.  596  ;  9.  321  ;  S.  A.  1737  ; 

H.  93  ;  II  P.  56  ;  151  ;  C.  249  ;  878  ;  Circ.  4  ;  V.  Ex.  63.     See 
dulcet. 

Symphonious,  adj.     Concordant  :  P.  L.  7.  559. 

Symphony,  n.  1.  The  Greek  av^cpMvia,  a  concord  of  two  sounds,  i.  eM 
a  fourth,  a  fifth,  or  an  octave.  Hence,  musical  concord,  in 
general  :  P.  L.  1.  712  ;  3.  368  ;  5.  162  ;  11.  595  ;  H.  132  ;  S. 
M.  11  {variant)  ;  P.  W.  1.  232. 

2.  A  band  or  choir,  playing  or  singing  in  concord  :  P.   W.  2. 
479  ;  3.  476. 

Syrinx,  n.  An  Arcadian  nymph,  changed  into  a  reed  to  escape  the 
god  Pan  ;  P.  R.  2.   188  ;  A.   106  ;  107. 

Tetrachordon,  n.  Literally  four-stringed,  a  term  representing  the 
earliest  Greek  scale.  The  tones  would  be  represented  in  the 
modern  scale  by  e,  f,  g,  a,  the  lowest  being  half  a  tone  below  the 
next,  and  the  others  rising  in  intervals  of  a  whole  tone.  Milton 
probably  had  this  primitive  four- part  "  harmony  "  in  mind  when 


172  Milton's  Knowledge  of  Music 

he    called  his  second  divorce-pamphlet    Tetrachordon,    that  is, 

a  harmony  of  the  four  chief  passages  in  Scripture  on  divorce  : 

S.   11.  1. 
Thalia,  L.  n.    The  Muse  of  comedy,  and  later  of  lyric  poetry  :  E.  6. 48. 
Thick-warbled,    v.    adj.     Containing   many   trills   crowded   together  : 

P.  R.  4.  246.     See  warble. 
Timbrel,  n.     An  instrument  of  percussion  similar  to  the  tambourine. 

In  the  Bible  it  is  always  an  instrument  of  rejoicing  ;  cf.  esp. 

Job  21.  12,  where  it  is  paired  with  the  harp.    To  Milton,  however, 

it  seems  to  suggest  horror  and  barbaric  rites  :    P.  L.   1.  394  ; 

S.  A.   1617  ;  H.  219  ;  Ps.  81.  6. 
Time,  n.     Musical  rhythm  :  H.  129  ;  in  pun  :  U.  C.  2.  7  ;  8. 
Touch,  1.  v.  tr.  Play.     a.  On  stringed  instruments  ;  P.  L.    7.  258  ; 

A.  87  ;  S.  M.  13  ;  S.  20.  10. 

b.  On  the  stops  of  wind-instruments  :   L.    188. 

2.  n.     The  act  of  playing  a  musical  instrument  with  the  hand  : 
P.  L.  4.  686  ;   V.  Ex.  38. 

3.  The  pressing  of  the  keys  in  playing  an  organ  :  P.  L.  11.  561. 
Transverse,   adj.     Crossing  and  re-crossing   in  seeming  confusion  : 

P.  L.  11.  563  ;  S.  A.  209. 

Trill,  v.  tr.     To  sing  quaveringly  :  P.  R.  4.  246. 

Triton,  n.     The  herald  of  Poseidon,  represented  as  blowing  upon  a 
shell  :  C.  873.     Cf.  Nat.  non  Pat.  Sen.  57-58. 

True,  adj.     Harmonically  accurate  :  C.  997. 

Trump,  n.     Trumpet  (q.  v.)  :   P.  26  ;  H.   156. 

Trumpet,  n.      Wind-instrument  of  metal,  used  for  signal,  or  noise  of 
acclaim  :    P.  L.  1.  532  ;  754  ;  2.  515  ;  6.  60  ;  203  ;  526  ;  7.  296 
11.  74  ;   12.  229  ;  P.  R.  1.  19  ;  S.  A.  1598  ;  S.  M.  11  (variants) 
H.  58  ;  Ps.  81.  10  ;   P.  W.  1.  232  ;  495  ;  2.  91  ;  368  ;  404  ;  474 
3.  70 ;  480.     See  angel-trumpets,  buccina,  clarion,  tuba. 

Trumpeter,  n.  :  fig.,  P.   W.  1.  17. 

Tuba,  L.  n.     Trumpet  (q.  v.)  :  E.  3.  60  ;  4.  80. 

Time,  1.  v.  tr.  a.   Utter  musically  :   P.  L.  3.  40  ;  5.  41  ;   196  ;  7. 
436  ;  559  ;  P.  R.  1.   182  ;  fig.,   P.  L.  9.  549. 

b.  Set  to  music  :  S.   13.   11. 

c.  Put  in  tune  ;  P.  L.  3.  366  ;  fig.,  P.    W.  2.  408. 

d.  Adapt  :   P.  8. 

2.  n.  a.  A  melody  :  S.  A.  661  ;  A.  72  ;  11  P.  117. 

b.  Concord  :  S.  M.  26  ;  P.    W.  3.  476. 
Tuneable,  adj.     Musical  :  P.  L.  5.  151  ;  P.  R.  1.  480. 
Tuneful,  adj.  a.  Melodious  :  S.  13.  1. 

b.  Producing  melody  :  P.  R.  2.  290. 


Glossary  173 

Tuning,  v.  n.     Concord  :  P.  L.  7.  598. 

Tuscan,  adj.  "Tuscan  air,"  the  music  of  Tuscan  composers.  Possibly 
Milton  had  in  mind  some  of  the  songs  of  Monteverde,  Luca 
Marenzio,  and  others,  which  he  had  purchased  in  Italy  :  S.  20. 12. 

UnexpressiTe,  adj.     Inexpressible  :  H.  116  ;  L.  176. 

Unison,  adj.  In  vocal  music,  the  entire  chorus  singing  the  same 
part  :   P.  L.  7.  599. 

Unsung,  v.  adj.  Not  celebrated  in  song  :  P.  L.  1.  442  ;  7.  21  ;  253  ; 
9.  33  ;  P.  R.  1.   17. 

Urania,  n.  The  Heavenly  Muse  (cf.  P.  L.  1.  6),  hence,  the  divine 
inspiration  for  Christian  poetry  :   P.  L.  7.   1.  31. 

Various,  adj.  Containing  a  variety  of  musical  sounds  or  rhythms. 
The  "  various  quills  "  of  the  shepherd  in  Lycidas  are  probably 
suggested  by  the  clustered  pipes  of  the  syrinx  :  P.  L.  5.  146  ; 
8.  125  ;  L.  188. 

Various-measured,  v.  adj.    Having  a  variety  of  metres  :  P.  R.  4.  256. 

Verse,  n.  a.  The  words  in  song,  as  contrasted  with  the  melody  : 
P.  L.  5.  150  ;  9.  24  ;  P.  R.  4.  256  ;  U A.  137  ;  C.  516  ;  859  ; 
P.  22  ;  47  ;  H.   17. 

b.  Personified  :  S.  M.  2  ;  8.   13.  9.     See  carmen. 

Viol,  n.  The  generic  name  of  the  family  of  bowed  instruments 
which  succeeded  the  medieval  Fiddle  and  preceded  the  Violin. 
Viols  were  of  four  sizes,  treble  or  discant,  tenor,  bass,  and  double 
bass.  The  last  named  is  still  in  use,  with  very  little  modification. 
Milton's  viol  was  probably  the  bass  viol.  (Cf.  Richardson,  page  v.) 
This  instrument  resembled  the  modern  violoncello  rather  than 
the  double  bass.  The  regular  number  of  strings  was  six,  and  these 
were  tuned  by  fourths  and  thirds,  instead  of  fifths  as  in  the 
'cello.  The  range  of  the  instrument  was  parallel  to  that  of  the 
human  voice,  the  lowest  note  being  the  low  D. 

In  Milton's  time  the  bass  viol  had  considerable  importance 
and  individuality  among  musical  instruments.  It  is  better 
known  by  its  Italian  name  of  Viola  da  gamba.  The  reason  for 
the  bass  viol's  importance  is  to  be  found  in  its  similarity  to  the 
theorbo  lute,  in  tuning.  As  a  result  most  lutenists  could  play  on  the 
bass  viol  as  well.  The  greater  part  of  the  music  now  extant 
which  was  played  on  the  bass  viol  of  the  seventeenth  century 
is  evidently  an  adaptation  of  music  for  lute  or  voice. 

The  bass  viol  was  the  last  of  the  old  viol  family  to  disappear 
from  common  use.  It  kept  its  place  even  after  the  introduction 
of  the  violin  had  forced  out  the  higher  forms  of  viols  and  it  was 
a  popular  instrument  among  the  Puritans.     (Grove's  Diet.  s.  v. 


174  Milton's  Knowledge  of  Music 

viol,  violin.)     It  is  significant  that  Milton  groups  the  "  lute  and 

viol":  P.  28. 
Violin,    n.     Possibly    one    of    the    smaller,    high-pitched    viols.     But 

Milton  may  well  have  in  mind  the  modern  instrument,  which, 

in  his  time,  had  already  won  great  favor  :  P.  W.  2.  73.    See  viol. 
Vocal,  adj.     a.  Consisting  of  vocal  music  :   P.  L.  9.   198. 

b.  Filled  with  sound  :  P.  L.  5.  204  ;  9.  530  ;  C.  247  ;  L.  86. 
Voice,  n.  a.  Employed  in  song  :    P.  L.   1.  712  ;    3.  347  ;    370  ;  4. 

682  ;  7.  24  ;  37  ;  598  ;  9.  199  ;  P.  JR.  1.  172  ;  4.  256  ;  S.  A.  1065  ; 

H.    27  j    96  ;    A.    77  ;    UA.    142  ;    S.  M.  17  ;    S.  20.   11  ;    P. 

W.  3.  476. 

b.   The  melody  in  vocal  music,  personified  :  S.  M.  2. 
Volant,  adj.     Light,  fleeting,  describing  the  touch  of  an  organist  : 

P.  L.  11.  561. 
Warble,  v.   1.  tr.     a.  Sing  like  a  wild  bird  :  UA.   134. 

b.  Sing    in    a    complicated    style  :    L.    189  ;    II    P.    106  ; 
S.  20.  12. 

c.  Produce  liquid  sounds,  like  the  rapid  notes  of  a  bird  : 
P.  L.  5.  195  ;  196. 

d.  Celebrate  in  song  :  Ps.  136.  89. 

2.  intr.  a.  Sing  with  trills  and  quavers  :  P.  L.  7.  436  ;  8.  265  ; 
S.  1.  2. 

b.  Produce  liquid  sound,  like  a  bird-song  :  P.  L.  3.  31. 
Warbled,  v.  adj.  1.  Sung  :  P.  L.  2.  242;  C.  854. 

2.  Accompanied  with  singing  :   A.   87.     See  divinely-warbled, 

thick-warbled. 

Warbling,  v.  adj.     Consisting  of  song  :  S.  A.  934.     See  night-warbling. 

Well-measured,  v.  adj.     Well-proportioned  as  to  rhythm  :   S.  13.   1. 

Well-proportioned,    v.    adj.     Having    correct    musical    proportions  : 

P.   W.  1.  232.     See  proportion  (1). 
Whisper,  1.  v.  a.  tr.   Utter  soft,   musical  sounds  :    P.   L.   8.    516  ; 
H.  66. 

b.  intr.  P.  L.  4.   158  ;  326  ;  P.  R.  2.  26. 
2.  n.  Soft,  musical  sound  :  UA.  136. 
Whispering,  v.  adj.     Uttering  soft,  musical  sounds  :    P.  JR.  4.  250  ; 

UA.  116. 
Whistle,  1.  v.  intr.  UA.  64. 

2.  n.  C.  346  ;  fig.,  P.    W.  3.  84. 
Wind,  v.  tr.     Blow  :  L.  28. 

Winding,  v.  adj.  Describing  involved  melodic  progression  :  UA.  129. 
Wire,  n.     Siring  of  a  musical  instrument,  particularly  the  lyre  or  harp  : 
P.    /,.  7.  597  ;  S.  M.   13  ;    V.  Ex.  38.     See  string. 


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Aubrey,  J.     Collections  for  the  Life   of   John    Milton    (1669-1696) 

in  his  Brief  Lives,  ed.  A.  Clark,  2  vols.,  Oxford,  1898.     Cited  as 

Aubrey,  Brief  Lives. 
Corson,   H.     Introduction  to  the  Prose  and  Poetical  Works  of  John 

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Godwin,    W.      Lives  of  Edward  and   John  Philips,    Nephews  and 

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Peck,  F.     New  Memoirs  of  the  Life  and  Poetical  Works  of  Mr.  John 

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Philips,    E.      Life  of  Milton.     See  Godwin,  Lives  of  Edward  and 

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the  Author  and  a  Discourse  on  the  Poem  by  F.  Richardson,  Sen. 

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Browne,   R.  C.     English  Poems,  2  vols.,  Oxford,  1875-1878. 
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Collins,  J.  C.     Samson  Agonistes,  Oxford,  1906. 
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176  Milton s  Knowledge  of  Music 

Facsimile  of   the  MS.   of   Milton's  Minor   Poems,   Preserved  in   the 

Library    of     Trinity    College,      Cambridge,     Cambridge,      1899. 

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Horwood,  A.  J.     Commonplace  Book,  and  a  Latin  Essay  and  Latin 

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Commonplace  Book. 
Jerram,  C.   S.     Paradise  Regained,   New  York,   1902. 

—  Samson  Agonistes,  London,  1890. 

Masson,  D.     Poetical  Works,  3  vols.,  London,  1893. 

Pattison,  M.     Sonnets,   London,    1883.     Cited   as   Pattison. 

St.  John,  J.  A.     Prose  Works,  5  vols.,  London,  1853.     Cited  as  P.  W. 

Symmons,  C.     Prose  Works,  7  vols.     London,  1806. 

Todd,  H.  J.     Poetical  Works,  7  vols.,  London,  1809. 

Verity,  A.  W.     Arcades,  Cambridge,  1906. 

—  Ode    on    the   Morning  of   Christ's   Nativity,   V Allegro,    II  Pen- 

seroso,  and  Lycidas,  Cambridge,   1906. 

—  Arcades  and  Comus,  Cambridge,  1891. 

—  Sonnets,  Cambridge,  1895. 

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—  Samson  Agonistes,  Cambridge,  1897. 

Warton,  T.     Poems,  English,  Italian,  and  Latin,  with  Translations, 
London.  1791. 

3.  Special  Studies,  etc. 
Bradshaw,  J.     A  Concordance  to  the  Poetical  Works  of  John  Milton, 

New  York,  1894. 
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15.  308-368,  1909. 
Lockwood,  L.  E.     Lexicon  to   the  English   Poetical  Works  of  John 

Milton,  New  York,  London,  1907. 
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New  York,  Bombay,  1896. 
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Schlesinger,  F.  A.     Der  Natursinn  bei  John  Milton,  Leipzig,  1892. 

4.  Sources  of  Milton's  Theories 
Ambrosius,  Enarrationes   in   XII   Psalmos  Davidicos.     See  Migne, 

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1831-1870.     Cited  as  Aristotle. 


Bibliography  ill 

Abistotle,  Politics,   translated  by  B.  Jowett,  Oxford,  1905. 
Aristoxenus,  Harmonics,  ed.  with  Translation,  Notes,  Introduction 

and  Index  of  Words  by  H.  S.  Macran,  Oxford,  1902.     Cited  as 

Aristoxenus. 
Boethids,   A. M.S.   Vber  die  Musik,  ed.  Oscar  Paul,  Leipzig,  1872. 

Cited  as  Boethius,  De  Musica. 
Cicero,   Somnium  Scipionis,  tr.  by  C.  R.  Edmonds,  Cicero's  Three 

Books  of  Offices,  pp.  288-305,  Bohn  Library,  London,  1887. 
Jan,  K.     Musici  Scriptores  Graeci,  Leipzig,  1899. 
Kibcheb,   A.     Musurgia    Universalis,    sive    Ars  Magna   Consoni  et 

Dissoni,  2  vols.,  Rome,  1650.     Cited  as  Kircher,  Mus.   Univ. 
Macrobids,    A.  A.  T.     Opera,  ed.  F.  Eyssenhardt,   Leipzig,  1893. 

Cited  as  Macrobius. 
Martiands  Capella.      De    Nuptiis    Philologiae    et    Mercurii,    ed. 

F.   Eyssenhardt,  Leipzig,  1866. 
Meibom,  M.     Antiquae  Musicae  Auctores  Septem,  2  vols.,  Amster- 
dam, 1652. 
Migne,  J.  P.     Patrologia  Latina,  161  vols.     Paris,   1857-80. 
Morley,  T.     A    Plain   and  Easy  Introduction  to  Practical  Music 

(1597),  repr.  London,  1771.     Cited  as  Morley. 
Philo  Judaeds,  Works,  Translated  from  the  Greek  by  C.  D.  Yonge, 

4  vols.,  London,  1854-1855. 
Plato,  Dialogues,    Translated  into  English  by  B.  Jowett,  Oxford, 

1875. 
Plinius  Secdndus,  C.     Natural  History,  Translated  by  J.  Bostock 

and  H.  T.  Riley,  6  vols.,  London,  1856-1893. 
Plutarch,  De  Musica,  ed.  R.Westphal,  (text,  translation,  and  notes,) 

Leipzig,  n.  d.     Cited  as  Plutarch. 
Proclds,  On  the  Theology  of  Plato,  ed.  J.  Creuzer,  3  vols.,  Frankfurt, 

1820-22. 
Tinctoris,  J.     Tractatus  de  Musica,  ed.  E.  de  Coussemaker,  Lille. 

1875. 

5.  Historical  Works  on  Mdsic 

Abert,   H.     Die   Musikanschauung    des   Mittelalters,   Halle,    1905. 
Burney,  C.     A  General  History  of  Music  from  the  Earliest  Ages  to 

the    Present    Period,    4    vols.,    London,     1776-1789.     Cited   as 

Burney. 
Chappell,   W.     Old  English  Popular  Music,  ed.  H.  E.  Wooldridge 

2  vols.,  London,  1893.     Cited  as  Chappell. 
Davey,    H.     History  of  English  Music,    London,    1895.     Cited  as 

Davey. 

m 


178  Milton's  Knowledge  oj  Music 

Gevaert,    F.    A.      La  Musique  de  VAntiquite,  2  vols.,  Gand,  1875. 
Gleditsch,    H.     Die  Musik  der  Griechen,   Anhang  in   Handbuch  d. 

Klassischen  Altertumswisse?ischaft  2.  3.     Miinchen,  1901. 
Hawkins,     J.      A  General  History   of   the  Science  and  Practice  of 

Music,  5  vols.,  London,  1776.     Cited  as  Hawkins. 
Hope,  R.  C.     Mediaeval  Music,  London,  1894. 
Monro,   D.   B.     The  Modes  of  Ancient  Greek  Music,   Oxford,  1894. 
Oxford  History  of  Music,  vols.   1  and  3,  Oxford,   1901-1902. 
Bitteb,    A.    G.     Zur  Geschichte  des  Orgelspiels,   Leipzig,    1884. 
Westphal,   R.     Die   Musik  des  Griechischen   Alterthumes,   Leipzig, 

1883. 
Williams,   C.  F.  A.     The  Story  of  the  Organ,  London,  1903. 

6.  Miscellaneous 

Ademollo,  A.     La  Leonora  di  Milton  e  di  Clemente  IX.,   Milano, 

n.  d. 
Becker,  C.  F.     Systematische   Chronologische   Darstellung   d.  Musi- 

kalischen  Literatur,  Leipzig,  1836. 
Becker,    C.   F.     Die   Tonwerke  d.   XVI.    u.   XVII.    Jahrhunderts, 

Leipzig,  1855. 
Burnet,  J.     Early  Greek  Philosophy,  London,  1908. 
Dickinson,  G.  L.     The  Greek   View  of  Life,  London,   1905. 
Grove,  G.     Dictionary  of  Music  and  Musicians,  ed.  J.  A.  F.  Mait- 

land,  5  vols.,   New  York.    1904-1909.       Cited  as  Grove's  Diet. 
Hutchinson,   Lucy.      Memoirs   of   the   Life   of   Colonel  Hutchinson, 

London,  1848. 
Mathew,  J.  E.     A  Handbook  of  Musical  History  and  Bibliography, 

London,  1898. 
Pater,  W.     Plato  and  Platonism,  New  York,  1903. 
Peacham,  H.     The  Compleat  Gentleman,  ed.  G.  S.  Gordon,  Oxford, 

1906.     Cited  as  Compleat  Gentleman. 
Prynne,    W.       Histriomastix,     The     Players'    Scourge    or    Actors' 

Tragaedie,  London,  1633.     Cited  as  Histriomastix. 


INDEX 


Accompaniment  30,  31,   33,  43, 

48,  52,  53,  55,  88 
accuracy  of  Milton's  references  83 
Ad  Pairem  13,  14,  16 
Aeolian  style  of  music  67,  88,  122 
air  (form  of  composition)  7,  8,  15, 

27,  51,  112 
Airs  (H.  Lawes)  125 
alchymy  40 
amateurs  in  music  5 
Ambrosius  103,  147 
angels   (as   musical)    18,   26,   29, 

34,  52,  64,  69,  75,  77,   95,  101 
angel -trumpets  36,  108 
anthem  16,  26,  50,  106 
Apollo  (as  a  musician)  32,  33,  34, 

50,  52,  70,  89,  92,  93,  99,  124 
Apollo  (worshipped  in  Britain)  94 
Arcades  18,  25,  37 
Archytas  150 
Areopagitica  24,  112 
aria  parlante  127 
Ariana  31 

Arion  14,  70,  105,  134 
Aristides  16 
Aristotle  17,  44,  58,  70,  133,  140, 

142 
Aristoxenus  16,  58,  60 
arrangement-  of  compositions  39 
artificial  music  3 
art  of  music  (as  opposed  to  theory) 

18,  28,  83 
astronomy  73 
At  a  Solemn  Music  99,  108 
Atlas  104,  133 
Aubrey  7,  12,  14,  23,  27,  49 
aulos  40 
a vena  38 

m 


B 

Bacchus  94,  119 

Back,  Shepherds  125 

bag-pipe  40,  42,  112 

ballad  6,  51 

ballad -tune  4 

ballad-writer  3 

ballatry  112 

band  36,  87 

Barberini,  Francesco  21,  22,  23 

barbers  (as  connected  with  music) 

6 
barbitos  33 
Barbican  25 
bard  33,  52,  53,  55 
Baroni,  Leonora  21,  22,  26,  31, 

32,  50,  129-131 
bass  29,  76,  91,  102 
bass-viol  6,  16,  31 
bell  41 

bird -song  54,  55,  79,  88,  115,  120 
blindness  of  Milton  25,  92,  93,  114 
Boethius  16,  58,  60,  71,  149 
Brackley,  Lord  20 
Bridgewater,  Earl  of  25,  124 
buccina  40 
Bunyan  10 
Burney  2,  12,  13,  126 
Byrd  4,  13 


cadence  89,  113 

Cambridge  16,  17,  18 

Campion  7 

canon  47,  48 

carmen  51,  52,  88,  105 

Casella  124 

catch  6 

2 


180 


Milton's  Knowledge  of  Music 


cathedral  9 

Cavalier  82 

celestial  music  33,  34,  36,  52,  64, 
72,  73,  74,  75,  76,  80,  95,  101, 
115,  119,  120,  135,  147 

chant  27,  33,  50,  52 

Chapel  Royal  30 

charactei  in  musical  instruments 
42 

charm  42,  67,  88-89,  122 

Chaucer  71 

chelys  33,  100-101 

chest  of  viols  5 

chime  41,  42,  60,  62,  76,  99,  102 

chimes  (church)   13 

choir  16,  18, 29, 45, 54,  91, 106, 108 

choir-books  9 

Choice  Psalms  (Lawes)  20,  126 

choral  75,  77 

chord  30,  48,  111 

Christ  as  the  ideal  of  the  har- 
monious life  98,  135 

Christianity  of  Milton  94—97 

Christs  College  16,  18 

chromatic  65,  66 

Cicero  102,  144,  148 

cicuta  38 

Cifra  23 

Circe  94 

cithara  33,  105 

cittern  6 

clarinet  40 

clarion  40 

Claudius  Ptolemaeus  16,  58 

Clio  89 

close  76,  100 

Coelum  Stellatum  74 

Commonplace- Book  28 

Compleat  Gentleman  4,  5,  7 

composition,  passim 

Comus  19,  25,  37,  54,  125 

concent  24,  108 


concert  19,  28 

concord  15, 41,  58, 62, 74, 139-140 

consort  8,  43,  99,  103,  135 

Coperario  13 

cosmos  97 

counterpoint  2,  6,  8,  13,  103,  125 

Cremona's  trump  37,  103 

criticism  of  Lawes  126 

Cromwell  as  a  musician  10 

curfew  41 

cymbal  40,  41,  92 


dance  6,  10,  18,  33,  43,  44,  45, 

47,  48,  53,  73,  77,  79,  87,  105, 

115 
dance-music  43 
Dante  103,  124 
Dati,  Carlo  21 
Delphinus  104,  134 
De  Musica  (Boethius)  149 
De  Musica  (Plutarch)  150 
De  Nuptiis  Philologiae  146 
Derby,  Countess  of  19 
descant  7,  15,  24,  55,   102,   111, 

112,  116 
De  Somniis  146 
De  Sphaerarum  Concentu   17,  132 

-136 
diapason  39,  63,  74,  99,  109 
diapente  63 
diatcssaron  63 
diatonic  scale  3,  65,  66 
Diodorus  134 
Diodati  18 
discord  15,  24,  26,  58,  62,  72,  79, 

91,  92,  93,  99,  139-140 
dissonant  89 
ditty  24 
Divinine   Will   as   source   of   all 

law  and  order  96—97 
divisions  30,  48,  111 


Index 


181 


divorce  pamphlets  24,  96 

Doni,  Giovanni  Battista  22,  23, 

130 
Dorian  mode  66,  67,  88,  113,  119, 

122,  141,  143 
Dowland  13 
Druids  as  bards  94 
drum  40,  87 
Du  Bartas  71 
dulcimer  40,  75,  120 

E 

ecclesiastical  music  3,  10 
Education  (see  Tractate  of) 
education    (as   including    music) 

23,  111,  141-144 
Egerton,  Lady  Alice  25 
Egerton,  Thomas  25 
Eikonoklastes  30,  41 
Elizabethan  period  2,  3,  10,  11,  13 
embellishments  7,  48 
Enarationes  in  xii  Psalmos  Davi- 

dicos  147 
English  music  2,  83 
enharmonic  genus  65 
Epitaphium  Damonis  37,  38 
Er  70 
ethical   value   of   music   671    68, 

85-86,  113,  141-144 
Etymologiae  147 


Fair  Oriana  in  the  Morn  12 

fancies  8,  13,  48,  77 

fantasy  7 

Ficino  72 

fiddle  42 

fiddler  112 

fifth  (interval)  63 

Flemish  music  1,  2 

Florence  21,  22 

florid  music  30 


Flud,  Robert  71,  148 
flute  10,  37,  38,  39,  67,  113 
folk-song  6 
formal  music  7 
fourth  (interval)  63 
Fresco baldi  22,  26,  48,  121 
fret  75 

From  the  Heavens  125 
fugue  7,  22,  24,  30,  47,  48,  111 ,  121 
Funeral    Tears    for    the    Earl    of 
Devonshire  15 

G 

Galileo  20,  21 

gamut  112 

Gibbons,  Ellis  12 

Girard  29 

glee  6 

Golden  Age  as  affected  by  har- 
mony 91,  103,  136 

Graces  (as  dancing)  46,  115 

grave  (simple)  24 

Greek  music  3,  37,  43,  53,  82 

Greek  theory  19,  58,  82 

Greek  writers  15,  18 

Gregory  3 

guitar  112 

H 

Harmonics  140 

harmony  62—65,  84,  96—98, 
139—140  and  passim 

Harmony  (personified)  106,  118, 
134 

harp  18,  34,  35,  38,  40,  64,  68, 
69,  74,  75,  91,  99,  101,  108,  114, 
119,  120,  131 

Haulo,  Robertus  de  147 

Hawkins  2,  12,  13 

Hebrew  music  35 

Henry  VIII  1,  10,  36 

Herrick  8 

high  (complicated)  37 


182 


Milton  s  Knowledge  of  Music 


Hilton,  John  18 

Histriotnastix  9 

Hobson  17 

Holstenius,  Lucas  21,  25 

Horace  33 

Horton  18,  19 

Hours  (dancing)  46,  115 

How  doth  the  Holy  City  13 

Hullah  9 

Hutchinson  10 

hymn  18,  50,  75,  108 

Hymn  on  the  morning  of  ChrisVs 

nativity  (see  "  On  the  morning 

of  Christ's  Nativity'''') 

I 
1  am  the  Resurrection  13 
idealization  of  harmony  95 
If  that  a  sinner's  sighs  13 
//  ye  love  me  13 
imagination  of  Milton  as  applied 

to  music  79 
immanence  of  God  in  nature  97 
improvisation    6,  22,  29,  52,  53, 

111,  112,  121 
inaudibility  of  sphere-music  73 
In  Nomine  7,  12 
instrumental  music  2,  8,  42,  43, 

45,  48,  52,  53,  55 
instruments,  passim 
interval  61 
Isidorus  147 
Italian  music  2,  23,  83 
Italian  Sonnets  22 


26 


jangle 
jig  47 
Jubal  30,  111,  121 


K 


Kant  95,  97 
Keightley  29 


key  39,  66,  89,  100,  147-148 
Kircher  23,  33,  144,  151 


Laches  141 

Lactantius  135,  151 

V Allegro  41 

language  of  Milton  as  affected  by 

his  knowledge  of  music  86—90 
Lawes,  Henry  8,  11,  19,  20,  23, 

25,  31,  54,  124-128 
law  as  exemplified  in  music  18, 

82,  95-97 
Lawrence  27,  31 
Laws  139 
lay  79,  110 

Leighton,  William  13,  14,  15 
Leonora  (see  Baroni) 
licensing  of  musical  instruments 

112 
lullaby  13,  90,  113 
lute  6,  8,  18,  21,  24,  27,  31,  32, 

35,  40,   68,   74,  89,   101,   103, 

112,  131 
Lucretius  38 

Lydian  mode  66,  67, 105, 141, 143 
lyre    32,    33,    34,    40,    100,    101, 

139-140 

M 
Macrobius  133,  145,  149,  150 
madrigal  1,  2,  8,  12,  15,  26,  51, 

53,  112,  124,  127 
Mane  citus  ledum  fuge  17 
Marenzio,  Luca  23 
martial  music  24,  40 
Martianus  Capella  33,   102,   107, 

146 
masque  20 
mathematics  (as  related  to  music) 

6,   18,  20,  48,  56,  57,  58,  59, 

61,  68,  84 


Index 


183 


mean  123 

measurable  music  15,  18,  58,  61 

measure  43,  54,  59,  61,  62,  97 

melody  7,  13,  37,  52,  53,  54,  61,  88 

metaphors  (having  musical  signi- 
ficance) 83,  89 

metaphysical  conception  of  music 
57,  69,  85 

Milton,  John,  passim 

Milton,  the  elder  7,  12,  25,  106 

Mixolydian  mode  143 

Mnemosyne  107 

modes  (Greek)  3,  7,  65—68,  89, 
141-144 

modulation  14 

monodic  style  of  music  8 

Monteverde,  Claudio  23,  36 

moods  (see  modes) 

Morley,  Thomas  4,  5,  12,  15,  47, 
60,  62,  71,  138,  139,  147 

Morrice-dance  47,  78 

motet  13 

motion  44,  46,  59,  60,  137-139 

Muse  52,  70,  93,  107,  134,  147, 
148 

music,  passim 

music-books  5,  13,  15,  23 

Musical  Banquet  15 

Musurgia  Universalis  23 

Myriell,  Thomas  13,  15 

mythology  32,  93-94 

mysticism  in  Milton's  attitude  to- 
wards music  57,  58,  68-80,  83, 
85,  94 

N 
Nativity  Ode  (see  On  the  Morning 

of  Christ's  Nativity) 
Natural  History  (Pliny)  145 
Nature  as  musical  17,  29,  43,  55, 

69,    77-81,    85,    95,    99,    117, 

118,  120 


Neo-Platonism  72,  103,  108 

Nichomachus  102 

nightingale's    song    55,    79,     106 

-107,  116 
noise  (in  musical  sense)  87—88, 

108 
Norwich  (psalm-tune)  13 
Now  my  task  125 
number  (in  its  relation  to  music) 

18,  58,   59,  76,  77,   115,   122, 

137-139 


oat  38 

obedience  the  essence  of  Milton's 
religion  96—97 

octave  63,  74,  109 

Oh  had  I  Wings  13 

O  Lord,  behold  13 

On  the  Morning  of  Christ's  Nativ- 
ity 17,  51,  90-92 

On  the  Music  of  the  Spheres  (see 
De  Sphaerarum  Concentu) 

opera  8 

orchestra  36,  39,  64,  91 

organ  9,  10,  14,  15,  16,  18,  22, 
24,  28,  29,  30,  34,  35,  37,  39, 
47,  48,  53,  62,  75,  76,  91,  102, 
105,  111,  112,  113,  121,  147 

Oriana  12 

Orpheus  32,  33,  34,  48,  52,  89, 
93,  99,  105,  110,  124 

Ousley  9 

Ovid  33,  38 

Oh,  Woe  is  Me  13 


pagan  cosmology  26 

Pan  46,  115 

partial  52,  114 

part  (in  music)  2,  5,  7,  12,  13,  53 

part-singing  53 


184 


Milton's  Knowledge  of  Music 


pastoral  music  37,  38,  42,  94,  110 

Peacham  4,  5,  6 

pecten  33 

Pepin  29 

percussion  instruments  40,  41 

Persius  135 

Phaedo  139 

Pherecrates  106 

Philips,  Edward  7,  12,  13,  23 

Philips,  John  23 

Philo  Judaeus  103,  146 

philosophy  16,  56,  69,  80,  82,  84, 

97,  122 
Phoebus   14,   54,    100,    103,    105, 

122,  134 
Phrygian  mode  66,  141,  143 
pianoforte  39 
Pico  della  Mirandola  72 
pipe  (organ)  29,  37,  113,  138 
pipe  (pastoral)  37,  38,  39,  40,  41, 

75,  88,  113 

pitch  37,  39,  49,  53,  58,  62,  122 
Plain  and  Easy  Introduction    to 

Practical  Music  15 
plain-song  102,  111,   116 
Plato  15,  45,  56,  58,  66,  70,  71, 

76,  85,  97,  108,  112,  119,  133. 
137,  139,  141,  144,  150 

plectrum  33,  100 
Pliny  145 
Plotinus  72 

Plutarch  55,  58,  106,  150 
poetizing  tendency  of  Milton  85 
poetry  allied  to  music  11 
poetry  as  song  51,  52,  53,  55,  85 
points  (in  musical  notation)  7 
Politics  142 
polyphonic  music  3,  8 
popular  music  3,  6,  10 
Precamur  sancte  Domine  13 
proaemium  37 
Problems  140 


Proclus  148 

Prometheus  72,  104,  135 
proportion  6,  15,  30,  37,  58,  6K 

77,  121,  123,  137-139 
Protagoras  141 
Prynne,  William  9 
psallein  100 
psalm  10,  27,  50 
Psalter   (Ravenscroft)    13,    15 
Purcell,  Henry  2 
Puritan  attitude  toward  music  9, 

10,  82 
Pythagoras    15,    17,   58,   69,    70, 

97,  98,  99,  132-133,  150 
Pythagorean  system  17,  61,  138 

Q 

quality  of  tone  38,  39,  54 
quill  110 

quire  (see  choir) 

R 

Ravenscroft,  Thomas  13,  14,  15 

rebeck  42,  112 

recitative  8 

recorder  39,  67,  113 

reed  37,  38,  40 

register  39 

relation    of   Milton    to    his    time 

81-82 
Republic  141,  144 
resonant  30,  121 
Restoration  10 
rhythm  41,  43,  44,  47,  52,  53, 

58,  61,  62,  122 
round  6,  51 
Royal   Blood   Crying   to   Heaven, 

The,  etc.  37 
rustic  music  39 
rigor  of  Milton's  attitude  toward 

law  95 


Index 


185 


Sabrina  Fair  125 

sacred  music  3,  4,  10,  16,  30,  50 

Salmasius  37,  103 

St.  Paul's  Cathedral  16 

St.  Paul's  School  16 

Sappho  130 

scale  3,  4,  63,  65 

secular  music  3,  4,  10,  50 

sensuality  in  music  47 

serenate  54 

service  16,  50 

Servius  102 

She  weepeth  continually  13 

significance  of  music  150—151 

sin  as  discord  72,  73,   108,   135 

siren  70,  71,  107,  133 

skilled  music  3,  6 

Somnium  Scipionis  70,  133,  144, 

148,  149,  150 
sonata  43 

song  48—55  and  passim 
sound  17,  26,  90-93 
sound-board  29,  113 
sources  of  Milton's  theory  137— 

151 
Spenser  71    78 
sphere  11,    17,    19,    21,    29,    41, 

45,  53,  55,  59,  60,  64,   69-75, 

85,  95,  102,  107,  132,  144—148 
sphere-metal  42 
stop  29,  75,  110,  121 
stringed  instruments  33 
sublimity  of  music  93 
Svogliati  21,  22 
Sweet  Echo  8 
Sylvester  71 
symphony  24,  43,  62,  63,  64,  76, 

77,  88,  103,  115,  134,  139 
Symposium  139 
syncopation  7 
system  in  music  63 


Tallis,  Thomas  3 

Tears  or  Lamentations  of  a  sorrow- 
ful Soul  13,  15 

technique  in  music  53,  56 

tenor  13 

Testi,  Fulvio  130 

theatricals  (college)  18 

Theocritus  67,  94 

theorbo  21,  131 

theory  of  music  7,  15,  16,  18,  19, 
21,  28,  57-80,  83 

Thou  God  of  Might  13 

Timaeus  45,  58,  137,  144 

timbrel  40,  41,  87,  92 

Timotheus  of  Miletus  106 

Tomkins,  J.  16 

Tomkins,  T.  16 

tone,  passim 

touch  30 

Tractate  of  Education  24,  111 

transverse  30,  62,  121,  123 

Tristitiae  Remedium  13,  15 

Triumphs  of  Oriana,  The  12,  15 

trumpet  35,  36,  37,  40,  55,  64, 
91,  99 

Tuscan  air  27 

Tye,  Thomas  3 


ultimate  reality  as 

music  56,  68,  80 
unison  37,  75 
universality  of  music  59,  69,  72, 

77,  85,  117 
University  Carrier  17,  59 


Vecohi,  Orazio  23 
Velle,  Pietro  Delia  131 


186 


Milton's  Knowledge  of  Music 


Venosa,  Prince  of  23 

versatility  in  music  4 

verse   11,   14,  53,  54,  55 

vibration  41,  42,  50,  56 

Vida  103 

viol  5,  8,  10,  31,  40,  68,  101,  103 

Virgil  38,  94 

virginal  6,  48,  100 

vocal  chords  50 

vocal  music  2,  7,  8,  49—55 

voice  11,  14,  31,  43,  48,  55,  83 


93 


W 

Waller,  Edmund  8 
warble  27,  50,  78,  79. 
When  David  heard  13 
Whitelocke,  Bulstrode  36 
Wilby,  John  12,  13,  14 
wind-chest  113 
wind  instruments  29 
words  (of  song)  2,  8,  53 


York  (psalm-tune)  13 


